


The Stars Above

by BlueStarPaladin



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Cuban Lance (Voltron), M/M, Mama Lance, Stubborn Keith (Voltron), blue lion - Freeform, child keith, cuteness, kid keith, klance, red lion - Freeform, stubborn child keith
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-11
Updated: 2018-02-05
Packaged: 2018-12-26 08:13:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 36,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12054912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueStarPaladin/pseuds/BlueStarPaladin
Summary: “Keith? Is that you?” Lance held in a chuckle but failed miserably, “You’re a kid!”Lance’s amusement quickly ceased when the other raised up a blade towards him. It was the dark sword that Keith liked to carry around.“I don’t know you but I’m hungry so give me some food.” Keith demanded with an angry face, but even though he was mad, Lance couldn’t take him seriously at all.“Okay! Okay!” Lance did raise his hands up in defence. Even though Keith was a kid somehow, he was still the Keith that was good with blades.“We’ll get you something to eat but first put down your weapon.”“No.” The child pouted, “I wanna eat. Now.” He took a step closer towards Lance, pointing the blade higher.[Lots of cute Klance moments. This is my first Voltron story so I'm also practicing. Please go easy on me]





	1. Keith turned into a... kid!?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Voltron gets new information that Haggar will be visiting a planet. A perfect chance to strike and take her down. Things turn for the worse though when Lance and Keith are sucked into a wormhole and thrown onto a deserted planet.
> 
> Lance regains consciousness only to find that Blue is out of power. He goes outside and sees Red but it's pilot is missing... or so Lance thought before a little Keith shows up to point his sword towards him. Keith had turned into a kid!

“Listen up team, this is a very dangerous mission so I want you all to be on high alert. For all we know, this could be a trap set by Haggar so be on high alert.”

“Piece of cake. I could have went by myself.”

“And get killed?”

“Oh shut up Keith! I got this!”

“Yeah, right…”

“Lance, Keith, stay focused. Did you hear what I just said?”

“Yeah.” Both replied at the same time.

“Good. We’ll be at the coordinates in 5 dobashes so focus.”

When Team Voltron received classified information from the Blade of Marmora that Haggar, Zarkon’s witch, would be travelling to the planet of Arus, the team knew right away that this was their chance at taking her down. If they do, then they would deal a huge blow not only to the Galra Empire but also to Zarkon himself.

“According to my data, she should be travelling with a fleet of fighters to escort her. We’ll have to take care of those before proceeding to attack the main ship.” Pidge relied the information as they neared their destination.

“As I said, no problem. Blue and I will take them all down.” As soon as Lance had said that, he heard a sigh through the intercom, coming from none other than Keith.

“Let’s just get on with it.”

“The sooner we finish, the sooner I can get back to baking my cookies.” Hunk cried, already sensing the smell of his freshly baked blue cookies.

“We’re here.” Shiro said as he flew the black lion close to some meteors. Everyone hid behind them, spotting Haggar’s ship right before them. Just as the information said, she was here.

“Paladins, can you hear me?”

“We can hear you Allura, what is it?” Shiro replied.

“It seems that Haggar’s ship is equipped with a particle barrier. After you take out the fleet, you’ll have to damage the shield enough for it to break.”

“Understood. Are you ready team?”

“Yeah!” Everyone said in unison before all of the lions came out of their hiding spots, heading for the Galra fleet.

Haggar, who was watching through the window of her ship noticed the lions. With Voltron here, her plans could proceed smoothly, “Prepare the fighters.” She ordered one of the soldiers before looking back out the window.

“Keith! Let’s see who can take on more of these fighters!”

“I don’t have time for this Lance! Just get on with it!”

“You scared? Heh~ You know I’ll beat you in a blink of an eye.”

“You’re on!”

The red and blue lions marched forward with speed, taking out as many of the fighters as they could while the rest did the same.

As the team took on the fighters, they failed to notice three slightly bigger ones, approaching them in formation. The three moved so that they formed a triangle, opening a wormhole between them.

“Huh? What’s that?”

“Whatever it is, stay away from it!” Shiro was taken by surprise when he noticed the tree fighters approach him. The black lion turned, running away from the wormhole that seemed to be sucking the space near it.

“We’ll have to retreat! Fall back!”

This mission had turned out to be a trap. Haggar was expecting them and they played right into her hands. The rest of the lions quickly followed, all apart from Lance and Keith who were feeling the force of the pull.

The wormhole was pulling them towards it!

“I-It’s too strong! I can’t get out.”

“M-Me too!”

The two lions struggled but couldn’t win against the force pushing them. They suddenly gave in as the wormhole swallowed them whole.

“Lance! Keith!” 

 

* * *

 

A wormhole suddenly opened on a deserted planet, throwing the red and blue lions out of it before closing. Red and Blue fell down, crashing onto the ground with a thud.

“Uhhh…” Lance grumbled, coming to his senses before noticing that Blue was out of power, “W-What happened? Shiro? Pidge? Hunk?” He leaned his head against his hand, trying to fight a headache that was coming. Despite that, he did try to get the power back to his lion with no success…

“Come on beautiful. Wake up.” Blue was out cold which only meant one thing; the blue paladin would have to go out and explore.

Lance stood up out of his seat, making his way out of his lion to notice that he had crashed on a desert planet. What he also noticed was the red lion who wasn’t crashed that far from Blue, “Keith!”

He made a run for it before he noticed that the red lion’s mouth was open. Did Keith get out already? He went inside to find the red paladin but didn’t see anyone. The pilot seat was empty and just like Blue, Red was out as well.

Where was Keith though? If he woke up before him, wouldn’t he see Blue and come look for him too?

“Great. Thanks for leaving me hanging.” Lance sighed, scratching his head as he turned around. Now he would need to find-

“Turn around!”

The blue paladin stiffened when he heard the voice, quickly turning around. Was it an enemy? Maybe Haggar? But… Nobody was there? Huh?

“Who are you?” He heard the voice again which made him look down. His eyes widened when he noticed Keith. Well, yeah Keith but not exactly him. The Keith that was before him was a little kid! Did he shrink?

“Keith? Is that you?” He held in a chuckle but failed miserably, “You’re a kid!”

Lance’s amusement quickly stopped when the other raised up a knife towards him. It was the dark blade which the red paladin liked to carry around a lot.

“I don’t know you but I’m hungry so give me some food.” He demanded with an angry face but even though he sounded mad, Lance couldn’t take him seriously at all.

“Okay! Okay!” Lance did raise his hands up in defence. Even though Keith was a kid somehow, he was still the Keith that was good with knives.

“We’ll get something to eat but first put down your blade.”

“No.” The child pouted, “I wanna eat. Now.” He took a step closer towards Lance, pointing the knife higher.

Was Keith plating with knives even as a kid!? What kind of a childhood did he have!? First thing’s first though… They had to figure out why Keith was… a kid. Was it Haggar’s doing? And why didn’t he recognise Lance?

“Put that blade down and we’ll go eat, okay?” The blue paladin suggested, smiling at the little Keith. He saw the angered look on his face but couldn’t help to find it… just a bit cute. Good thing Lance had experience with playing with his cousins.

“We can’t get food if you point it at me.”

Lance noticed the child hesitate before putting it down. His stomach grumbled, making the little Keith blush. Lance chuckled, kneeling down so that he was at Keith’s height level, “My name is Lance. Can I be your friend?”

Keith held his stomach with one hand while trying to hide his blush with the other. It was so very adorable, even for the all the time grumpy red paladin.

“O-Okay. You can be my friend. I’m Keith.” His voice was low but Lance could still hear it. He smiled before standing up, extending his hand towards the child, “Let’s go outside. I’ll find you something to eat.”

Keith looked up at the blue paladin with hesitancy before moving to hold Lance’s hand. If he was hungry, he couldn’t help but trust this person.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first Voltron story so I'm super nervous ;3; I'm also not used to writing with the Voltron characters so it will be a challenge :( This is more for fun than anything else :D I just want some cute Klance moments XD Child Keith and Mommy Lance :D The chapters will be short so that I can upload more frequently (hopefully).
> 
> I hope it's not too bad... It was 3 am when I wrote this so sorry :(
> 
> You can find me on Tumblr too. Here.  
> [lancyblue](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/lancyblue)


	2. Food!

Food… Food… Where the heck was Lance suppose to find it? There was absolutely nothing on this planet other than rocks and sand. Well, it did have oxygen so the two could take off their helmets to breathe freely. At least they had that.

Keith grumbled, tightening his hold on Lance’s hand in displeasure. He was hungry and bad! “I want food.” He complained for the nth time and honestly if he wasn’t a kid, Lance would have snapped. Thank the heavens that he has a soft spot for little innocent children.

“We’ll find it soon. Wait a bit, okay?”

“I wanna eat!” The red paladin didn’t listen, making Lance sigh. Why was he the one stuck with a small version of Keith? And why was he small anyway!?

Surely Pidge would know, she knows everything. They have to start up their lions again and go back to the castle. Although Blue and Red had been out for a while now which made Lance worry. Was that because of something the wormhole did?

“Food.” Little Keith pulled on Lance’s hand again.

“Ugh… I know, I know! We’ll get it-“ Then out of the corner of his eye, the blue paladin noticed something move.

He instinctively pushed small Keith back, his protective instincts of children kicking in. He always used to protect his cousins and nieces from all sorts of things. By now it had become second nature to him.

Then when the creature emerged from behind a rock, Lance noticed that it was a small lizard. He smiled before moving his hand up, “There’s your food little buddy.”

Lance’s bayard formed, the blue rifle aiming at the small lizard. He was the sharpshooter of the team so this was nothing for him. Why run towards it when he can easily shoot it?

Lance focused on the lizard, looking through the scope while waiting for the right moment to strike.

He was about to pull the trigger when something pulled his hands down. The bayard shot down at the ground, scaring off the lizard that ran away.

Lance quickly looked at little Keith who had an expression of wonder on his face, “What are you doing!? This is dangerous! I could have killed you!” He finally raised his voice for the first time but little Keith ignored him.

“What’s that?”

Lance was still mad but after seeing the look of wonder on the child’s face, he pushed it back, “This is my bayard. It’s a long ranged rifle.”

“Ohhh…”

Keith’s eyes seemed to sparkle, only encouraging the blue paladin to go on, “Its pretty long and has this really cool scope. What’s even cooler is that I can change it into a closer range gun.” He moved his hand to do just that as the bayard changed forms.

“Cool!”

Now that’s what Lance wanted to hear, “Only yours truly is talented enough to handle a cool weapon like this. It takes an extremely talented and handsome person to- Hey! Stop it!” Lance tugged back when Keith pulled at the bayard.

“I want it.”

“No!” Lance managed to overpower the smaller paladin easily before turning the bayard back to its original form.

“This isn’t a toy! And I could have killed you!” The thought now came back to him. That was a strand of hair away from actually becoming something deadly!

“Hmph!” Little Keith pouted, looking at Lance with puffed cheeks.

The other returned the stare, “No is a no amigo. Besides, you have your own.” Actually, where was Keith’s bayard? His paladin armour had shrunk with him but the weapon was nowhere to be seen. Maybe it was still in Red?

The sound of a grumbling stomach reminded the two why they were here in the first place.

“Hungry.” Keith looked up at Lance with a consistent look of stubbornness. The blue paladin swore for the nth time that if Keith hadn’t turned into a child, he would kick his ass right about now.

“Fine. Wait here, I’ll go get it.” It would be better for Keith to stay here rather than try to kill them both again.

   

* * *

 

Lance’s sharp eye focused on another lizard that was before him. He looked through the scope before pulling the trigger, managing to take it down. Finally! Now they could both eat. He had caught one more before this one as well so they had more than enough.

He sighed before going to take the lizard. After that, he made his way back to where he had left Keith.

Honestly, he shouldn’t have been surprised that little Keith wasn’t there. Why did he think it was a good idea to leave him alone again?

A bit panicked, Lance called out the red paladin’s name but no response came. Seeing nothing but a wasteland before him, Lance decided to check the lions. Relief washed over him when he found Keith in Red’s cockpit, sleeping soundly in the driver’s seat.

Seriously… What was he? Seven? By the looks of it, seven was probably the case. He wasn’t really small but he wasn’t tall either.

He was different from the older/grumpy Keith but still the same in his stubbornness. Yet for the sake of separating the two, Lance decided to call this Keith ‘little Keith’. He was cuter than the grumpy older one so it was of high importance that this Keith gets a name as well. Even if it was just ‘little’ before his name.

“I’ll let you sleep little buddy.” While little Keith slept, Lance would make dinner.

He made his way out of Red to see that the sky was darkening. Not only was the sun setting but dark clouds were making their way towards them as well. A storm may be coming… Lance just hoped he had time to make dinner before it hits them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tired... First day of school... But wanted to write this... I wish I could write better Klance :( Baby steps! Actually, I don't even know if they're really OC or closer to the Canon ones. Probably more OC... I suck ;3;
> 
> If you have any suggestions for the story, drop me a message on Tumblr ;)  
> [lancyblue](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/lancyblue)


	3. Rain falls

Warmth… That was what Keith felt when he woke up. His eyes slowly opened, blinking to wash away the haziness. He closed his sleepy eyes and rubbed them with his knuckles before looking around. He was inside the red kitty.

He reached out to touch his stomach when it grumbled, now more hungry than ever. He didn’t see his new friend around and so Keith hopped off the seat to make his way out of the cockpit.

He peeked out from within Red’s mouth, searching for his companion.

“Keith! Over here!” His search ended when Lance called out to him. He noted the campfire before his mouth began to water. He quickly made his way towards Lance who was just below him, using Red’s head as a shield in case the rain did decide to pour down.

“Finally awake, huh? You’ve been asleep for almost an hour now.”

Little Keith pouted, holding his hand above his stomach. He gave Lance the ‘stare’ which the blue paladin soon learned meant ‘give me what I want or I won’t listen to you at all’. Keith must have been a handful as a kid!

“Geez.” Lance took one stick from the fire, holding it up to Keith for him to take.

“I managed to catch it while you were asleep. It’s not much but I hope you’ll like- Hey!” His brows furrowed when Keith reached out and grabbed the lizard, quickly moving away from Lance when he got it.

“A ‘thank you’ would be welcome you know.” The blue paladin grumbled but the child outright ignored him.

Keith sat down on the other side of the fire, taking his first bite. The way his eyes lit up after the first bite let Lance know that he liked his meal.

“Be careful. You might choke on the bones.” He warned and just as he did, Keith began to cough.

“ _-cough-cough-_ “

“Keith! Are you alright?” Lance quickly stood up, reaching little Keith before patting him on the back. He always did that with his cousins and nieces when they used to eat fish on the beach. They would make a campfire like this one, cook fish and then eat it. Although now instead of fish, they were eating a lizard, and instead of his family, he was taking care of little Keith.

The stronger pats on back did help and Keith was beginning to breathe again.

Lance sighed in relief, “Thank goodness…” The red paladin of Voltron won’t be taken down by small lizard bones.

Little Keith looked up at him, feeling uncomfortable by their closeness. He moved away, narrowing his eyes at the other.

Lance received another ‘look’ before little Keith began eating again.

“Let me clean the bones at least. That way I’ll know you won’t kill yourself.”

“No.”

The reply was quick.

“Will you at least listen to me?” Lance sat down on a rock with a deep sigh.

“No.”

Ugh! Lance takes back everything he had said about the kid! He was exactly the same as original Keith! Only cuter in appearance… but that is all!

Yelling won’t solve anything though and so Lance decided to approach him calmly. He acted on his experience.

“Listen buddy, I’m just trying to help. Will you let me?”

Keith didn’t waver. He was sitting on the other side of the campfire now, munching on his lizard. His eyes were narrowed onto the blue paladin, not letting him out of his sight.

Lance sighed again.

“Did I scare you? Is that it? I swear that I won’t hurt you.” The blue paladin smiled.

Little Keith was not convinced but when he heard thunder nearby, he froze. Looks like it’s going to rain.

Lance noticed the startle and it didn’t take him long to realise that little Keith was scared of thunder. Heavy rain began falling down as well and Keith lowered his upper body closer to his thighs. He hunched over, hiding his head below his hands.

“Keith it’s alright.” Lance tried to assure before taking a step towards the other.

“No!” Keith’s voice made Lance stop in his steps.

“Why are you smiling?” He asked out of the blue, taking Lance by surprise.

“Because you’re my friend, that’s why! And I want to help you. Let’s go inside Re-“

“No!” Little Keith clenched his fists, “You’re too nice. I don’t like it.”

Keith’s lavender eyes gained a tint of darker shade below the dark clouds. They were conflicted eyes a child would have when they’re mad but Lance had no idea what Keith was mad about!

“Look, I’m sorry if I did anything bad to you.” Lance kneeled down so that he was on the same level as Keith.

“I didn’t mean to make you angry. I still want to be your friend so will you come with me inside? It’s raining and you’ll get sick if you stay out for too long.” He extended his hand towards Keith, waiting for him to take it.

Little Keith was confused for a second before his expression changed to the angered one again.

“No! Leave me alone!”

“Keith!” Lance’s voice was blocked out by the thunder nearby. Keith ran into the rain and Lance quickly got up to follow.

The chase didn’t last long until Lance managed to catch the smaller paladin, holding him in his arms as he trashed about.

“Let go! Let go!” Keith yelled but Lance held on.

“Calm down buddy! It’s okay!”

Keith heard Lance’s calm voice before the thunder struck again. Little Keith quickly ceased his struggle, turning towards Lance to bury his head against his chest. He was slightly shaking and Lance noticed it.

“Don’t worry. The thunder can’t beat us if we’re together.” Lance said, standing up quickly with Keith in his arms, making his way back to Red. The campfire was still there but with so much rain, it was about to go out any second now.

Lance went to take his untouched lizard before making his way up to Red’s cockpit.

“We’re safe buddy. It’s okay.” His voice was warm and comforting. Keith found himself not wanting to let go… Which is exactly what happened when Lance tried placing him into the seat.

Deeming it futile, Lance sat down on it instead, holding little Keith in his arms. The shaking was still there but at least he wasn’t out in the rain anymore.

“Are you scared?”

Little Keith nodded.

“It’s okay. We’re all scared of something.” He began making circles against Keith’s back, “But we’re not alone so we don’t have to face those scary things by ourselves.”

Little Keith looked up with teary eyes.

“You’re really brave! Instead of being scared of thunder, the thunder will begin to fear you.”

The child’s expression turned into a confused one, “M-Me?” But then the thunder hit again. The heavy falling of rain against Red’s armour could be heard from within the cockpit.

“You bet! It’s probably running away as we speak!”

Keith looked up at the blue paladin in confusion but then it changed in a way Lance didn’t expect. Little Keith finally smiled!

“I-I’m strong!” He said, leaning closer to Lance for assurance.

“That’s the spirit!” The other cheered, remembering the lizard on a stick that he still had in his hand.

“Are you still hungry? I have one more lizard if you want it.”

“B-But…” Keith remembered that it was the one Lance had been preparing to eat. He didn’t want to eat someone else’s food.

“It’s all yours if you want it buddy.” Then he noticed the look. Quite different from his usual pouty glare, “Don’t worry about it. I already had one while you were asleep.” He didn’t but it wasn’t like Keith needed to know.

The child nodded, taking the lizard before biting into it, “T-Tha… Thank… Hmmm…” He hesitated, looking up at Lance with thankful eyes. Seriously… One thing Lance had learned is that child Keith likes to express himself with his facial expressions and eyes rather than talking.

“No problem little buddy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I won't make this story long. Plus even though I wanted to update it regularly, school hit me like a boulder...


	4. I beat it!

Red’s cockpit was cold and Lance blamed it on the fierce storm that just passed. At least that’s what he could tell because he couldn’t hear any thunder outside anymore.

The blue paladin yawned, stretching his hands up before looking down at little Keith. His expression softened, feeling smaller arms around his waist, holding him tightly. Keith was sleeping peacefully in his lap, his chest was moving up and down.

Looking at him like this definitely confirmed Lance’s beliefs that he was cute. Too cute for the grumpy older Keith he had come to know.

Pushing those thoughts aside for now, he made an effort to wake the child up. He shook gently, “Wake up buddy. You have to get up.”

Success, Keith’s brow was twitching, “No. Leave me alone.”

The grumpy side might be emerging again. Lance just hoped it was only due to sleep.

“Rise and shine little one. Come on, you must be hungry. Let’s go look for something to eat.” Lance’s voice was soft and low while little Keith grumbled, brows furrowing, “No.”

Little arms tightened their hold around Lance’s waist, “Sleep.”

“Ugh…” Keith’s grip shouldn’t be underestimated, even as a child.

“Wake up!” Lance shook harder but by no means was it forceful.

Finally Keith’s eyes shot open, grumbling but also staring holes into the blue paladin in a way that only Keith could.

“S-Sorry! But we have to get up!” Lance waved his arms before him defensively and due to some miracle, Keith let go. He crawled out of Lance’s lap to stand beside the seat.

The blue paladin sighed in relief, crossing his arms to stare at the control panels of the Red Lion. The screen was black and the cockpit was dark too. Still no power.

“We should go find some more food. Are you hung-“ BANG!

Lance jumped up, quickly turning around to spot Keith. He was running away!

“What the cheese!? Keith? Buddy!?” He took off after him, both of them making their way out of Red.

Keith ceased his run when he made it out, looking up at the clear sky above.

Lance panted and moved to stand behind the smaller paladin. Honestly, he swears that his physical condition is better. The sudden run had just startled him!

“It’s gone!”

“Huh? What is?”

“The thunder! I beat it!” Little Keith turned around, a smile on his face as he looked up at Lance. It was then and there that Lance felt something pierce at his chest, right in the middle. How cute!

“Damn right you did!” The blue paladin cheered, “I did help out too, right?”

Little Keith’s happy expression quickly turned into a glare, “No!”

“Oh come on!”

“No!” Little Keith pouted, his cheeks puff as he folded his arms.

Lance felt another arrow strike his chest, “Okay! Okay! It was all you.” He smiled, “You’re strong.”

Keith’s smile returned, beaming brightly at Lance. For now, the blue paladin would let this slide. All for the sake of seeing that precious smile.

Focusing back on the task at hand, they had to find food.

“Let’s go. Are you hungry?”

A nod.

Lance held out his hand, “Let’s go together, okay?”

Little Keith seemed to be in thought but looked away, walking forward and passing by the blue paladin.

“Rude!” Lance knew that the smile couldn’t last long! It was Keith they were talking about after all! “Keith? Little buddy?” He probed but the little paladin kept on walking, “I thought we had a bonding moment!”

Ignored.

Maybe Lance should have told Keith that he did remember the bonding moment they had after beating Sendak. If he did, maybe he would have received a different response… No! Taking it back, definitely not!

 

* * *

 

This time they had to venture out further into the desert, no lizard in sight. Lance looked back into the distance to spot Blue and Red laying down in the sand. He didn’t feel comfortable going any further.

“We should head back.”

Little Keith stared into the distance at the piles of sand. He didn’t respond so Lance stepped closer.

The blue paladin placed his hand on little Keith’s shoulder, “I think there are some lizards over there. Let’s go che- Hey!”

Little Keith made a run for it again and Lance followed. What was with Keith and taking off all on his own? That was definitely a trait that he still had as an adult!

Keith had made it up onto a sandy hill before he stopped. Lance managed to catch up to him, panting but trying to calm himself. When he looked up, his eyes shot wide open.

It was a small sand town! With small sandy houses and aliens! “Dios mío! There is hope!”

 

* * *

 

After a bit of observing from the distance, Lance had deemed the small town safe enough for them to venture into it. Not to mention that he had to keep an eye on Keith while looking out too.

They made their way through a wide street, spotting a couple of food stands around. There were weird alien looking foods but also some useful items such as knives, alien flashlights and shovels. Anything that would be useful out in the desert.

Water and food. That was Lance’s primary target right now.

_ “Pssst! Pssst!” _

Little Keith tugged on Lance’s hand when he saw a slim purple alien call out to them. The blue paladin turned, noticing him as well.

“May I interest you in some refreshments? Maybe some blazebug meat?”

What caught Lance’s attention was the number of food items the merchant had. There were meats and even something that looked like water. It… seemed drinkable.

Not to mention the look with which little Keith was looking at the items too. He was hungry.

“We’ll take you up on that. We’ll take… This and that.” The blue paladin pointed to four pieces of meat and four bottles of supposed water. It was clear and in a bottle, they were thirsty enough to try their luck.

“And what will you give me in return?”

_Oh._ Lance wasn’t a good negotiator at all.

“Uhhh… What do you want?”

“Five years of your life!”

“What!?” The blue paladin screeched.

“Your right hand! All of your belongings! Ten years of slavery!”

“Whoa! Hold on! Hold on!” At this point the merchant was shouting out unrealistic demands. Lance took a deep breath, thinking back on what Coran had told him a while ago. Here goes nothing!

“How about a pat on the shoulder and a handshake?” He held out his hand, little Keith glared and the merchant blinked.

“Deal!”

The alien accepted, much to Lance’s surprise. After quickly patting his shoulder and shaking his hand, they walked away.

Lance had no idea how this worked but bless Coran and his orange moustache! Now they had food and even water!

“Did you see that Keith? I bet you didn’t- Keith? Keith!” The blue paladin looked down but Keith wasn’t there! He turned around, looking at the stands frantically. He lost him!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> School is still hitting me like a boulder~~~ But I managed to update because of a comment on the last chapter, reminding me about this story. Honestly I didn't expect to get so many hits on this but not complaining! Just taken aback that people like it @(^_^)@
> 
> The chapters are so short and I'm still having trouble updating? I'm the worst...
> 
> Dios mío! = OMG!


	5. Knives and Girls

“Keith! Keith!” Lance yelled, not caring about the stares he received by doing so. Keith was gone, lost on a desert planet with nobody to help him. It scared Lance, more than it should have.

Right now Keith was a little kid. There was no telling what might happen to him or who might take advantage of him in such a state.

Lance explored the small town, checking every crook and cranny with no luck. Keith was nowhere to be seen.

“Okay, if I was Keith, where would I be?” Lance asked himself in thought, suddenly remembering a stand they had passed by on their way to the food shop.

Lance began running back to the market area, passing through the crowd towards the stand that was selling different kinds of knives.

When Lance spotted the small mullet in the distance, he took in a deep breath of relief. He never thought he would be so glad to see Keith’s mullet, ever.

“Keith!” Lance called and Keith turned around after hearing his name. The blue paladin felt the need to hug the small child so he did. He held onto Keith tightly, kneeling down in front of him.

“Why did you run off like that? Something could have happened to you!”

But Keith didn’t look sorry at all. He just blinked, staring up at Lance with confused eyes. After the blue paladin let go of him, Keith tugged on his sleeve, pointing towards the stand.

“I want that.”

What Keith was pointing at was the biggest knife that was on display, shining in all its glory as the sun’s rays reflected against it.

“No.” There was no way Lance would ever allow it. Knives or blades of any kind were dangerous for a little kid like Keith. Absolutely not.

“I want it.” Keith was persistent, tugging on Lance’s sleeve harder.

Okay, Keith was a stubborn kid. He won’t take a simple no for an answer. Lance placed his hands on those little shoulders, looking straight into Keith’s violet eyes.

“I’m sorry buddy but you can’t have those. They’re too dangerous for you. You’ll hurt yourself or someone else.”

“I won’t.” Keith tried but by the look on his face, he knew that he wouldn’t win this.

“Listen.” Lance sighed, “I’ll get this but I won’t give it to you.”

Keith’s face beamed, a speck of confusion mixed in as well.

“I’ll give this to the older Keith. When you’re all grown up, I promise I’ll give it to you. Pinky swear.” Lance moved his pinky finger, waiting for Keith to return the gesture.

Little Keith pouted, his cheeks full of air the way they usually are when he’s not satisfied with something. He bit down his pride though, wrapping his pinky finger around Lance’s own, sealing the deal.

“Promise.”

“Promise.” Lance smiled, standing back up to face the merchant.

“What would you like for that blade?” He asked the man behind the stand. The alien was large in size, chubby with large canine like ears. His teeth were sharp, as well as his claws which looked like they weren’t trimmed in years.

“What do you have to offer?”

Nothing.

“A pat and a handshake?” Maybe Coran’s magic will work again?

The alien began laughing, “Haha! Who do you take me for? You think I’m one of those guys?”

Lance gulped. This was going to be harder than he thought, but what could he give? They had nothing apart from their armour, Lance’s bayard and the food they bought.

Wait, food!

The alien looked like a dog and what do dogs love more than anything else? Meat.

“I have an offer you can’t refuse.” Lance took out the biggest peace of meat he had in the bag, placing it on the stand. He grinned when he noticed the alien’s eyes sparkle.

“Deal!”

Ha! Lance was a true dealer. He felt like he could take on anything anyone throws at him.

He took the knife in hand, observing it before his eyes moved down at Keith. Little mullet was looking at it in wonder, itching to touch it. Lance, however, knew better than that. He attached the knife to his belt as Keith grumbled in frustration.

“Is there anything else you want?” They should be heading back to the lions but maybe they could see what else the town offers.

“I’m hot.” Keith complained, pulling on the chest plate of his small paladin armour.

Now that he mentioned it, Lance was kind of warm too. Maybe they could find some lighter clothes? It could be dangerous with no armour to protect them but so far they didn’t encounter any danger. It should be okay.

Lance took Keith’s hand, walking through the town in search of a clothing store. When he found one, he walked up to it to look at the display. There was a wide variety of clothes, some that had sockets for four legs and five hands. Lance had no idea which alien species would need that.

“Let’s see if we can find anything inside.” They made their way in, Lance holding Keith’s hand tightly in fear that he would run away again. He didn’t want to risk it.

Keith was not amused, staring up at the clothes with no interest at all.

Lance spotted a normal looking shirt that would fit a human, it had two sleeves and was the perfect size for Keith, “How about this one? Its red and I know you like anything red.”

Little Keith stared up at him, snatching the shirt away from Lance’s hands before he began taking off his armour.

“H-Hey! Let me help you with that.” He didn’t know Keith was so uncomfortable that he had to change right away. It was a detail he missed.

“Awww! That’s so cute!”

Lance looked to the side when he heard a woman’s voice, spotting three female aliens that were looking at them.

“Such a man, taking care of your child. What would I give for a man like that.” One of the aliens swooned while the other two nodded in agreement.

“A caring man is an attractive man.”

Caring? Attractive? That is music to Lance’s ears. He quickly stood up, composing himself before leaning his hand against the hanger in a flirting position. He’s got this.

“Hello there ladies.” He smiled, pointing finger guns towards the three female aliens, “The name’s Lance and I think I just died because I found myself three beautiful angels.” He heard little Keith grumble beside him.

“Oh my! Angels?” The three aliens giggled, delighted.

“Is it okay for you to say that? Your wife would feel betrayed.”

Wife? Lance looked at Keith who had a grossed out look on his face. Oh. _Oh!_ “No, no, I’m not married.” He had to make this clear, “I’m as free as a bird.”

“You’re not?” They looked confused, “Then that’s not your son?” All of a sudden they seemed disappointed so Lance quickly took action to turn this around, “Y-Yeah he is!” He pulled Keith closer to himself, “We’re super close.”

The excitement returned to the females’ faces. Lance was relieved, “He’s so cute!” The three found it safe to come closer, one even pinching Keith’s squishy cheek, “He’s adorable! I want to take him home.”

At the sound of that, the red paladin quickly hid behind Lance, making the three squeal, “Adorable!”

“Y-Yeah, he is. Haha…” They were more focused on Keith rather than him! Even as a child Keith is one upping him!

“So, are you girls interested in seeing something cool?” He asked smugly, gaining their attention, “I don’t want to brag but I know my way aroun-AAARRRGG!!” He shrieked loudly and everyone in the store jumped in response.

Lance quickly kneeled down, hands pressed on his foot. It hurt! It hurt so much!

“A-Are you okay?” One of the aliens tried to see if he was okay but another hit to his side made him yelp loudly, “OOOWW!!!”

Lance turned to little Keith, immediately spotting the grin on his face. Lance swore that Keith had turned into his older self then and there because this was definitely something older Keith would do. Must be his jealousy showing because Lance had talent interacting with the ladies. Oh jealousy… Thy name is Keith.

“Rude!”

“And here I thought he was a gentleman!”

“Hmph!”

“N-No! Wait! I didn’t meant to-Wait!” Lance called after them but the aliens had their heads up, leaving the store without looking back.

When Lance turned to give Keith the biggest glare of disapproval he could muster, he noticed that the other had turned his back towards him, hiding the smug on his face. He noticed the way Keith’s shoulders began to shake.

“Are you laughing? You’re laughing at me, aren’t you!?”

It was then that Keith tilted his head to the side, revealing his struggle of holding in his laugh.

“You…”

Little Keith was a devil in disguise, causing trouble left and right! This is exactly the same thing older Keith does. Whenever Lance would try his luck, Keith would be there to chase the ladies away.

It was definitely his jealousy showing. This time, however, Lance decided to let it slide because little Keith finally laughed. He sure had a sweet laugh for a grumpy kid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's funny how at the beginning I was so motivated to update regularly but now I'm like nah~ It's also funny that this is the fanfic I dedicate the least time for yet it's my most popular story! Why? ಠ_ಠ
> 
> Find me on Tumblr, and if you have any ideas for the story, don't hesitate to share. I'd love to hear what you guys think.  
> [lancyblue](https://lancyblue.tumblr.com/)


	6. Flying sand

Food - check.  
Keith’s new knife - check.  
Clothes - check.

They had everything they needed, at least for now. Lance sighed as he swung a huge bag against his back, set on carrying it all the way back to their lions. It was heavy… They bought a lot of stuff.

“Ready to go?” The blue paladin looked down at little Keith who yawned tiredly. That was a definite yes.

Lance held Keith’s hand as they slowly made their way back to Red and Blue. Was it a good idea to leave them alone like that? What if someone decided to sneak in and steal some of the equipment? Even worse, some of the lions’ mechanics. Red and Blue wouldn’t be able to fly without those.

The little town was left behind and soon Lance found himself in the middle of a desert, surrounded by nothing. All he had were supplies in the bag and a little Keith that weighted him down, the said child was barely keeping up with him.

The wind was picking up too and Lance could taste little rocks of sand in his mouth as the wind carried them in the air, “Are you tired?”

Little mullet nodded, looking up at Lance. He stopped in place, sitting down.

“Whoa! Keith! You can’t sit down here!” He tugged on Keith’s hand, gently pulling him up, “What if a creature pops up and bites your butt? Would you like that?”

Little Keith stiffened, eyes widening, “T-That’s not true! You made it up!”

Lance held back a grin, “Okay then sit down and see if I’m wrong. It won’t be my fault if you get bit.” When Keith reached out to hold his hand again, Lance knew he won.

“Let’s go, Red is waiting for you.”

Little Keith perked up and continued walking beside Lance.

The wind was making things much more complicated for them. Lance could see both Red and Blue in the distance but as the wind was gaining on strength, it picked up more and more sand. Soon the two lions disappeared, a smog of sand covering their surroundings.

“Lance?”

“Don’t worry little one. Stay close and we’ll be okay.” Lance’s hold on Keith’s hand tightened as they walked. Hopefully they were still going the right way.

Lance stopped when he suddenly felt a pull from Keith, turning around to see that the little mullet was on his knees.

“Keith, what’s wrong?” Did he step on something?

“Tired.”

“I know you are buddy but you can’t rest here, we have to get back to Red and Blue.” They were so close!

“Tired.” Keith wasn’t giving in, glaring at Lance stubbornly. This kid was going to be the end of him.

“Fine!” Lance pushed Keith up so that he stood, then he put his arm under Keith’s knees so that he could carry him. The extra weight added to Lance’s struggle.

“Better?” He asked, noticing the small smile that was on Keith’s face. The little mullet was trying to hide it, definitely not cute.

Little Keith nodded before quickly hiding his face in the crook of Lance’s neck, his arms wrapped around Lance tightly.

“We’ll be fine, just you wait and see.” The blue paladin looked back at the direction where he remembered spotting Blue and Red. Hopefully it was the right way.

The walk through the desert was torturous. Not only did the sand make it harder for him to walk but it also drained his energy at a much faster pace. The bag was heavy and Keith was too. Lance was exhausted but knew that he couldn’t give up just yet.

His will began to waver with no sight of the lions. He swore that they should have already made it to Red and Blue by now. Fear began settling in, realising that they might have ended up lost in the desert, in the middle of a sand storm.

“What now?” Lance asked himself, looking down at little Keith who was clinging to him. There was a handful of sand that was in his black hair so Lance ruffled it, the sand falling down before new would settle in. He pulled on the little hoodie that Keith’s jacket had, covering the mullet's head. He didn't know if it was his motherly instincts, not that he had any, but he began to worry about little Keith's wellbeing.

He held the child close, deciding to keep walking. What else could he do in the middle of nowhere?

The wind was strong and Lance could feel the sand hitting his face like little rocks. He tried to keep on going but found himself falling down on his knees. Was this how it all ends?

“Lance?” Keith’s voice made him look up, frightened violet eyes looking at him. He couldn’t overlook the worry that was on Keith’s face as well, his little hand moving onto Lance’s cheek.

The blue paladin’s eyes began to close, clinging to the warmth of that little hand. Maybe it was okay if he stopped here- _SLAP!_

Lance yelped in a startle, his cheek throbbing, “W-What was that for!?”

Little Keith stood in front of him, staring at Lance with those sharp eyes of his. He looked angry which was a first for little Keith.

“Wake up!” Little mullet yelled, walking up to Lance and settling down between his legs so that he was close, “No sleep!”

“I-I wasn’t trying to sleep! I closed my eyes for just a second! Geez…” Give a guy some slack, carrying a heavy bag and a little kid was no easy task. Not to mention that they were stuck in a sand storm! Yep, nobody can blame him for it.

Lance was startled when all of a sudden Keith threw himself at him, hugging him tightly around the neck. His hold was tight, pressing himself closer to Lance, “No sleep.” Keith’s voice sounded desperate, the worry evident in his voice.

Lance was so taken aback by it that it took him a minute to respond. Keith was worried about him? The Keith that would always made fun of him? Haggar’s magic must have done much more than just turn him into a child.

But Lance was glad. Keith’s worry for him gave him newfound determination to carry on.

“Got it little one.” Lance held little Keith tightly, standing up with the child in his arms. Now then, where was he? Right, in the middle of nowhere.

“Lance.”

“What is it?”

The blue paladin felt a hand tug his hair, urging him to look to the left. Lance did so, eyes widening instantly. A cave! They would make it after all!

Lance sped up in his walk, managing to make it to the cave in record time. He sat on the ground in relief when he put the bag and Keith down, his back sore from the heavy weight. The sand in his hair was killing him and he swore that some of it got inside his clothes as well.

“See? Told you we would make it.” And Lance kept his word.

“I saved you.” Keith deadpanned, unamused.

“Y-Yeah you did but-“

“I saved you.” Keith pressed on, glaring holes at the blue paladin. Fine!

“Yeah you did. Thanks.” Lance said, looking down at the small mullet. He was satisfied when he spotted a tint of pink on Keith’s cheeks. He was blushing, how cute.

Keith sat down beside him, playing with his hands. Lance, meanwhile, managed to get as much of the sand out of his hair before deciding it would be a good idea to do the same for Keith.

“Come here, let's shake off the sand.”

Little Keith gave him a dubious look but complied anyway.

Lance moved his fingers through Keith’s black hair, shaking off the sand before running his fingers through the strands. Now that he had a better view of the mullet, he couldn’t deny that it was cute. It was a mini version of the original.

He will never understand how older Keith managed to make a mullet look decent, but it will also be an eternal mystery as to how little Keith managed to make a mullet look so adorable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A new chapter because I want to evade my responsibilities. Happy reading!
> 
> Find me on Tumblr: [lancyblue](https://lancyblue.tumblr.com/)


	7. Water

Lance was sitting down on the ground with outstretched legs, staring at the small child that was seated on the other side of the cave. After he had cleaned the sand from Keith’s hair and clothes, little mullet decided it was a good idea to sit further away from him. Why he sat so far away, Lance didn’t know.

“Come here.” Lance patted the ground beside him.

“No.”

“Why? Are you scared of yours truly?”

Little Keith shrugged while Lance sighed.

“You were clinging to me ten minutes ago. What’s wrong with being close now?”

Another shrug.

“Fine. You sure like to change your mind a lot.” Keith was a moody person. One moment he would be smiling and the next thing you know he would be staring at you with a glare. In that sense he was an enigma, a never ending mystery. Even as a kid this part of him remains the same.

Lance looked out the cave, the sand storm still strong in force. Looks like they won’t be able to leave anytime soon. When he looked to the other side, the cave wasn’t as dark as he had expected it to be. Still, what if an alien creature was inside? It wouldn’t be a far fetched idea.

“I’m bored.” Keith said, staring holes at the blue paladin.

“Well, I’m bored too. We’re stuck here buddy.” They can’t go anywhere with the storm outside. Lance’s face was still throbbing from being constantly hit by the sand. It hurt a lot.

Little Keith pouted but then stood up and made his way further down inside the cave.

“Wait up! Where do you think you’re going!?” The blue paladin shot up to his feet, set on grabbing Keith’s hand. Just as he was about to touch the little hand, Keith ducked, evading Lance’s attempt at catching him.

“H-Hey! Keith!” Lance swung his arms left and right, trying to catch the little mullet who dodged each and every time. How was he so quick!? Wasn’t he complaining how tired he was not long ago? Where did this energy come from!?

“What are you? A monkey?” He slipped through Lance’s fingers like water!

Keith stuck out his tongue, turning around before running further into the cave. Lance shrieked in reaction, “Don’t go there! Keith! Get back here!”

Lance’s pleas were ignored as he chased the child further inside. What if a monster jumps up on Keith and injures him? What if he sustains a life threatening wound by slipping on the rock? What if he hits his head against it? What if-Okay, maybe he was worrying too much... but he can’t help it! Little mullet was making his heart race in worry.

“Keith! I’m not joking around! Stop!” He was surprised when Keith actually stopped in place at a small opening. _Thank the heavens!_

Lance ran up to him, holding onto Keith’s shoulder as he tried to even out his breathing. He had more stamina than this, yeah. Keith had just caught him by surprise.

“You little…” Million different scolding words popped up in his mind, those he remembered his mama using when he would do something dumb like trying to drive a car.

However, as soon as Lance looked up, he forgot everything he was about to say. There was a small pond that was inside the cave. The water was so clean and if Lance didn’t know better, he would think that there was nothing there at all.

This part of the cave was much more brighter as well and that was due to an opening that was up in the ceiling. Lance could see the sandstorm from down below but none of the sand could make it inside. The light from above reflected on the water which in return illuminated the cave in a blue light. It was beautiful.

Water… They could take a dip!

“Keith let’s-“ Lance choked when he saw that little Keith was taking off his pants, “What are you doing!?”

The said child looked at him with a dumbfounded look, “I want to swim.”

Oh… Good, “I’ll join you.” Lance began taking off his clothes as well, leaving his body bare apart from the boxers that he decided to keep on. Luckily little Keith had the same idea.

“I’ll go in first.” This way Lance would check if the water was safe. He dipped his toes in first, checking if it would hurt or sting. It didn’t seem to be toxic so he decided to sit on the edge to submerge his legs. The water was safe- _SPLASH!_

The blue paladin tried to shield himself with his arms as the water splattered everywhere. That little…

“Keith! What do you think you’re doing!?”

The little child surfaced, splashing water on Lance.

“You… Come here mullet!” Lance jumped into the water, splashing back at little Keith. The other returned fire as the two went at it before they both got tired and stopped.

“For the record, I won.” Lance grinned. His competition with Keith will never stop, even when he’s a kid. 

“No, I won.” Keith’s cheeks were puff.

“Nope! I did!”

“Did not!”

“Did so!”

“No!” Keith began splashing at him again while Lance laughed. He was being childish wasn’t he? Maybe, but he didn’t care.

When the splashing stopped, Lance leaned back against a rock to relax. It felt nice to have the water wash away all the sand. He cleaned it a while ago but nothing was better than water.

The blue paladin glanced up at Keith to see what the little troublemaker was up to. He raised a brow when he noticed little Keith’s stare. Even as Lance was looking at him, Keith continued to stare, as if in awe.

“Is there something on my face?” He touched his cheeks, forehead and hair but found nothing. Keith continued his stare, making Lance uncomfortable.

Then the mullet moved, grabbing some seaweed that was under the water before pulling it. He looked at it and then back at Lance, swimming up to him. The blue paladin watched in confusion as little Keith placed the seaweed on his head.

Lance felt the slimy leaves on his hair, water dripping from it. He quickly shook it off with a shudder, “W-Why did you do that?” He got goosebumps looking back at the fallen plant.

Keith stared.

“What is it?” Lance scratched the back of his neck.

“Are you a mermaid?” Little Keith asked curiously.

Lance blinked, once, twice then trice. What?

“What gave you that idea buddy?” He lifted up his leg, “See? I don’t have a tail.” Was Keith messing with him?

“Your eyes. They’re blue and pretty.”

… What? _What?_ Lance couldn’t stop himself from blushing. Did Keith just compliment his eyes?

“I-I don’t see how my eyes have anything to do with me being a mermaid.” He looked away, cheeks red. Damn it Keith!

“But they’re just like the sea!” Keith was determined to prove it, “So you’re a mermaid.”

“T-That doesn’t make any sense.” Lance mumbled, finally looking back to see that little Keith was leaning in close, examining Lance’s face. His violet eyes were moving up and down curiously and suddenly Lance wondered if older Keith thought the same thing. He didn't, did he?  “Stop that.” This is embarrassing!

“Are you hiding?” Keith asked, confusing Lance.

“What?”

“You’re hiding from bad people. I’m sorry.” Keith lowered his head.

Again, _what?_ Why did Keith always have to be so confusing? “I’m not hiding buddy.” He assured, placing a hand on Keith’s shoulder, “I’m not a mermaid and I’m not hiding from anyone. Don’t worry, okay?”

“But… Mum had big fluffy ears… She said she was hiding from bad people too so…”

“Your… mum?” All of a sudden Lance realised that he may be onto something. Keith never talked about his parents and when they asked him about it, he said that he didn’t remember anything. How they looked, what they were like, nothing.

Keith did say that he remembered his dad but nothing about his mum. Maybe he was hiding it? Or maybe Keith really didn’t remember. Whatever the case may be, this may be Lance’s chance to find out more about one of Keith’s parents. Then again, would it be intrusive? But what if he misses out on a big opportunity to learn about something important?

“Your mum had big fluffy ears?” Lance asked, little Keith nodded.

“Can you tell me more about her?”

Keith looked up at him, their eyes meeting. Lance stared into those violet eyes when suddenly he spotted tears at the corners of Keith’s eyes. Keith began to cry.

Lance wrapped his arms around the small child, hugging him tightly in assurance, “Hey, it’s okay buddy. It’s okay.” He stroked circles on Keith’s back, letting him cry in his embrace. Maybe it was a bad idea to ask about his mum.

When little mullet quieted down, Lance deemed it safe to look. True enough, Keith stopped crying.

“You okay?”

Keith nodded.

Okay so talking about Keith’s mum was a taboo. It’s a no go.

“Wanna swim a bit more-“

“Fish!” Little Keith yelled, making Lance jump.

The blue paladin looked to where Keith was pointing, spotting a small blue creature. It did look a lot like fish from Earth. Wait… Are those teeth?

“Ouch!” Lance yelped, standing up to spot another fish beneath him. They had to get out!

Lance quickly grabbed Keith, getting them out of the water. It was a good thing they got out when they did because as soon as they were out of the water, a heard of those creatures appeared, their teeth sharp.

That was close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on a roll~ And u have my responsibilities to thank again XD   
> I just thought that I should say that I have no experience with little kids. Everything I write is fictional so plz don't take it seriously. Happy reading!
> 
> Find me on Tumblr: [lancyblue](https://lancyblue.tumblr.com/)  
> I also have an art blog (but my art is hideous): [starellas](https://starellas.tumblr.com/)


	8. Fire

After escaping narrow death by alien looking piranhas, Lance and Keith put their clothes back on and went back to the entrance of the cave. No use staying at the pond longer than they had to. Lance didn’t want to risk it.

Looking out the cave, Lance could feel the wind getting weaker. It wasn’t as strong as it had been when they came in so it was a relief. They’ll have to wait it out a bit longer before they could go outside again.

Little Keith was looking out the cave as well, his hair wet from the water. Lance pulled on his hoodie, “Put it on, you’ll get a cold.”

“But it’s hot.” Keith complained, trying to pull it off before Lance pulled it back on.

“At least until the storm passes by. Endure it for a bit.”

Keith folded his arms against his chest, irritated and unimpressed. Still, it was surprising that he listened so Lance didn’t complain. He had a feeling that Keith would just pull the hoodie back down again later. He’ll keep an eye on him in case he does.

“Lance.”

“Hm?” Lance could feel Keith tugging the sleeve of his jacket, urging him to kneel down. The blue paladin complied, raising a brow. He stayed still as little Keith reached behind him, pulling on his hoodie to pull it up, covering Lance’s head.

“You’ll get a cold too.”

The blue paladin was taken aback, puzzled eyes on Keith as the child smirked. Keith must have thought of this as payback so he’s not the only one suffering but to Lance it was something else completely. It showed that Keith cared... in a way. Would older Keith do the same? Does he actually care?

He and the mullet would fight all the time and while Lance did hide his feelings pretty well, it still hurt to think that Keith would never feel the same way. Little considerate things that little Keith does have a much bigger effect on him than Lance had thought.

Wait, why is he thinking about older Keith? Focus! Keith wouldn't worry about him like that, snap out of it! Lance slapped his cheeks to bring himself back to reality. Calm now, Lance looked down at little Keith, pinching his cheek.

“Thanks buddy.”

Little mullet grumbled, touching his red cheek. He did smile a little though, so Lance didn’t regret pinching it.

“Are you hungry?” They still had the bag of supplies.

Keith perked up, following Lance to where the bag was placed down. First they would have to cook the meat and that required fire. That could prove to be a problem. Lance had always been a city boy and had zero experience out in the woods.

He did see people using sticks to make fire on TV back on Earth and it didn’t look that hard. It probably wasn’t so he decided to improvise. How hard can it be? First they needed to gather wood… which they didn’t have.

Great.

“I’m hungry.” Keith complained.

“I know but we can’t eat. We don’t have fire to cook with.”

“Let’s make it.”

“We don’t have wood buddy.” Lance slumped back down on the ground.

Keith blinked, “Lance.” He tugged on Lance’s hand, “Why did you buy it then?”

“Because I thought we would cook it back with Red and Blue.” While exploring Blue’s cockpit, Lance had found a strange looking Altean gadget. When he switched it on, he quickly had to switch it back off due to the flame that came out of it. He didn’t know why Blue would have something like that.

Little Keith gave him a knowing look, “Hey! It’s not my fault!” How could Lance had known that they would be stuck here?

He felt Keith tug the sword Lance had attached to his belt so he quickly moved in reaction to stop him from getting it, “Oh no you don’t! I said you can’t have it.”

“I need it.” Keith glared up at him, “To make food.”

“With a knife? We don’t need to cut the meat, we need to cook it.”

“I know.” Keith tugged on it again.

“No, you can’t have it.”

Keith pulled with more force.

“I said no.” It's too dangerous.

Little mullet grumbled, giving up on the knife. Instead he reached back, taking out the black blade he carried with him. It took Lance by surprise because he completely forgot about it.

“Keith, think about what you’re doing.” He sat up, attention on the child and the knife in his hand. How could he forget about it?

Little Keith ignored him, moving the knife to tear at the bottom fabric of his pants. He cut right in the middle, cutting his pants so that they were shorts instead.

“Whoa!” Lance grabbed the knife in reflex, afraid that Keith would hurt himself, “What are you doing?”

“Help me.” Keith looked determined and set on doing what he had planned to do. Lance was hesitant but decided to help anyway.

After cutting his pants, Keith gathered little rocks that were laying around in the cave. Lance helped him gather the bigger ones, creating a small pit. Keith put the fabric inside before moving his blade so that the sun’s rays shone on it. The rays reflected from the blade onto the clothes and all of a sudden little smoke appeared.

Lance stared in awe. How could Keith know how to make fire at such a young age? What would he need it for? He didn’t live in a desert, did he? Lance always thought that he took refuge there for a short period of time because, well, who can live in a little shack? It was q surreal thought for him as a city boy.

A flame appeared. They had fire!

“You did it!” Lance picked the child up, holding him up in the air, “You did it buddy!”

Little mullet smiled, cheeks tinted red, “I-I did… I did!” He beamed but looked away in an attempt to hide it. Oh no he wasn’t hiding it this time!

“You saved us, again. Now we won’t starve to death, all thanks to you.” Lance was satisfied when he noticed Keith’s little smile widen.

“You’re my hero.” He brought Keith closer, hugging him tightly. He was surprised when he felt two little arms wrap around him as well. Good, he’ll win little Keith over even if his older self may be a jerk.

Lance placed Keith down, reaching for the bag, “Want to help me cook?”

Little mullet quickly nodded, eagerly reaching for the bag as well. They put the meat so that it was near the fire. Now all they had to do is wait.

Lance looked out to see that the storm was almost over. Good. Now they could focus on getting back home and reunite with the rest of the team. First they needed to get back to their lions and see if they’re back online again. If not, they needed to find a way to call the rest of their friends. Hunk must be worried sick, not to mention Shiro as well.

“Is it done yet?”

“Nope, not yet.”

Lance smiled when Keith’s cheeks went puff again. He wanted to get back to the castle so that they could figure out what happened but for the time being, he’s enjoying little Keith’s company.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit boring. Hopefully the next one will be better.  
> Thank u all for 3000+ hits! I never thought this fic would get so much. To be honest, I expected around 300 max. I'm blown, thank u! :)
> 
> P.S. The method Keith used to make fire is made up. I had no idea how else they would make it. I'm pretty sure you can't make fire with a sword like that.
> 
> Find me on Tumblr: [lancyblue](https://lancyblue.tumblr.com/)  
> Art Tumblr blog: [starellas](https://starellas.tumblr.com/)


	9. Quiznak!

“Lance.”

“What is it?”

“Carry me.”

The storm had passed and Lance finally deemed it safe enough for them to go out and resume their journey. The only problem they were facing; it was so quiznaking hot. He didn't know the sun could be this merciless. Keith should have warned him about it since he was the one with experience.

“What? Are you tired?”

Little Keith nodded, “And hot.”

“Yeah, me too little one.” Lance was hot and tired, carrying their bag of supplies that was killing him. Ugh… Maybe they should have waited until sunset to venture out again.

“Can you endure it a bit longer? I know you’re strong enough to do it.”

Keith looked up at him, “I’m strong.”

“I know you are.” Lance ruffled his black hair, covering Keith’s head with the hoodie again. The sun was just so strong that it was giving him a headache. Little Keith must feel it too so the hoodie was needed.

“Want some water?”

“Give it!”

“Coming right up!”

The blue paladin took out two bottles of the clear water they bought in the village. He opened the lid for Keith before handing it to him. The child drank hungrily while Lance opened his own bottle. The water was refreshing, cooling him down from within. It wouldn’t last for long though because he could already feel the heat from the sun warming him up again.

“Let’s go.”

Walking was treacherous. There was nothing but sand for miles away. Everywhere you look there would be nothing but an empty horizon. How did they find themselves in this mess again? There was no way they would be able to find their lions this way.

Luckily the sun was slowly beginning to set down, giving the two paladins some form of relief. However, with this came a new challenge of finding shelter. Was it safe to stay out in the sand? What if a creature shows up and eats them? Nope! Not safe.

“Look!” Keith tugged on his hand, pointing to the left. Lance turned but saw nothing out of the ordinary.

“I don’t see anything.”

“A river! There’s a river!” Keith tugged on his hand again, pulling Lance along with him as he made his way to where he pointed.

“Are you sure? I don’t see anything.”

Little Keith didn’t say anything but continued pulling on Lance’s hand. Making their way closer, Lance was surprised when he indeed saw a river. It was hidden behind the horizon but it wasn’t just a river, it was a canyon!

The canyon was big and stretched far into the distance. The river was at the very bottom, flowing between large rocks.

“Dios mío… How did you know it was here?” They couldn’t see it from where they were standing before.

Keith gave him a smug look, “Instinct.”

Yeah, of course, Keith is the paladin that relies more on instinct rather than skill. Still, even if it was just instinct it would be impossible for him to find the canyon. Must be the skills he picked up while living in a desert.

“That’s really cool buddy.” If it was older Keith, Lance would tease him about it, however, since this was little Keith, Lance decided to play along with it.

The wind was picking up but not strong enough for it to be a storm. It was soothing, cooling them both down after spending torturous amount of time out in the sun. Lance took the time to survey the canyon from where they stood at the top, spotting something out of the corner of his eye.

He focused his attention on a small ship that was at the bottom of the canyon near the river. He couldn’t see anyone on it because he was so far away but if there was a ship, then it must mean that somebody was on it. Hope!

“We have to get down there.” He grabbed Keith’s hand, making his way down. Maybe the aliens will help them contact the castle!

With newfound hope, Lance and Keith reached the bottom of the canyon in record speed. However, even though he was excited, Lance decided to keep his distance. He wasn’t dumb. As a paladin of Voltron, he knows that the aliens aboard may not be friendly.

Keith and Lance hid behind a boulder, watching the ship closely. They spotted some aliens that were on it, working on the deck of the ship. They had long necks and large ears, their skin was as bare as it could be. It was all wrinkled as well, turning Lance’s stomach upside down. Gross.

“Are they bad people?” Keith asked, holding onto Lance’s warm hand. With the sun slowly setting down, the air suddenly turned cold.

“I don’t know. They might be?” So far the aliens didn’t do anything but work on their ship. The vessel looked so much like a pirate ship from Earth. It was made out of wood looking material, hovering above the ground instead of water.

Hiding like this will get them nowhere. Lance had to go in.

“I need you to listen to me buddy, I want you to stay here and wait for me. Don’t follow me and only come out when I tell you its safe. Understood?” Lance kneeled down, looking straight into Keith’s eyes. The little child didn’t seem pleased by his words.

“No.” Keith grabbed his hand nervously. He held onto it tightly, a tint of fear in his eyes.

“Do you trust me?” Lance asked softly.

Keith was hesitant, shaking his head. Lance knew he did it so that he wouldn’t go, typical mullet.

“I need you to trust me this one time. I promise I’ll come back.” He held out his pinky, “I swear it.”

Keith’s hold tightened, his eyes uncertain. He slowly nodded, pulling out his own pinky.

Lance ruffled his black hair before standing up, “Stay here.” Keith was never one to listen so Lance was uneasy. Still, they had to risk it or they’ll be stuck here forever.

The blue paladin made his way out of their hiding spot, approaching the ship. The aliens aboard quickly noticed him, looking down at Lance. A crowd gathered at the edge as Lance stopped in place. He watched as the aliens let the biggest of them pass through, most likely their leader.

“Who are you?” The leader asked in a low tone as the others pointed their guns at him.

“Hello to you too. I’m a paladin of Voltron and I need your help.” Lance waved in a friendly manner, “I was hoping you could give me a lift or help me find my way around.”

“Paladin of Voltron? You don’t look like one.”

“I took off my armour. You know how hot it is around here.” This wasn't going as well as he expected.

“Hmmm…” The alien hummed, narrowing his eyes as he looked Lance up and down. He stroked his chin in thought, “Tell me, which planet do you come from? I never saw a species like yours before.”

Would it be a good idea to tell them about Earth? “I’m a human. We’re not as advanced so we don’t travel around in space.”  Lance looked up nervously.

“You’re definitely a rare species then.” The alien grinned, giving his crew a signal before they threw down their ropes, sliding down to the ground. Five of the aliens approached Lance with guns in their hands.

“You’ll sell for a high price.” The alien purred while Lance manifested his bayard. Turns out the aliens aren't friendly after all. That's just his luck.

“Lance!” Oh no…

“No Keith! Stay there!” The blue paladin yelled but it was too late. Little Keith was already out of hiding, running towards Lance.

“What’s this? Another human? This one is much smaller.”

“Sir, it must be an infant of their species.” A fellow alien noted while the leader hummed.

“He’ll definitely sell for a high price. Capture them.”

Lance held onto Keith tightly, hiding him behind his back as the aliens approached. How are they going to get out of this? His heart began to race. It was five against one and all Lance had was his bayard; a long range weapon.

“Lance.”

“It’s okay. I’ll protect you, don’t worry.” Could he really protect Keith like this?

_ GRRRRRRAAAAWWWWW!!!! _

Everyone jumped in place when they heard a loud ear piercing roar resonate thought the canyon. The aliens didn’t waste any time jumping back onto their ship in response, fear evident in their actions.

Lance couldn’t blame them, spotting a massive creature emerge from behind the wall of a rock just on the other side of the river. It was massive with enormous muscles on its back. He held onto Keith tightly as the creature neared.

The alien ship was long gone, leaving them in the dust. They were on their own.

_ Quiznak. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the cliffhanger. I'm updating tomorrow again so u don't have to wait for long. Also, I'm sorry for any spelling errors. I'm tired so I'm lazy to go back and check.
> 
> Thank u all for your lovely comments! I appreciate each and every one of them <3 Actually, they're the reason I'm updating this every day now XD A huge thank u to all who left comments <3
> 
> Find me on Tumblr: [lancyblue](https://lancyblue.tumblr.com/)  
> Art Tumblr blog: [starellas](https://starellas.tumblr.com/)


	10. A soft purr

“Run!” Lance yelled as he fired his gun, managing to shoot the massive creature in the middle of it’s chest. It roared in pain but recovered quickly, gaining on speed as it chased after them.

“Keith! What are you doing!? I told you to run ahead!” Why was it now of all times that Keith didn’t listen to him? The small child didn’t leave his side, not even when Lance stopped to shoot again at the creature. He was desperately clinging to Lance, not letting go.

The blue paladin felt his heart race, picking Keith up before making a run for it. With his short legs, there was no way Keith would be able to outrun anything. That’s why he told him to run in the first place but no! Keith had to be stubborn as usual!

Keith let out a quiet sob but didn’t look away from the creature that was chasing them. It’s massive teeth sent shivers down his spine, saliva dropping down from it’s jaws hungrily. It was hungry and set on eating anything it finds. Unfortunately for them, they were on the menu.

“We’re gonna be okay! We’ll make it!” Lance tried to assure but with his hoarse breathing, he didn’t think the message made it through to Keith.

Lance dodged as the monster leaned down to bite, managing to escape it’s razor sharp teeth by hair’s length. However, because he dodged so suddenly, Lance stumbled down and they both fell on the ground.

Lance’s heart was racing, looking up to see that the creature was snarling, eyeing Keith who froze, noticing its presence.

On instinct, Lance shot his gun at the monster, aiming for its left eye. He managed to hit it and this time the creature let out the loudest roar of pain he ever heard. This was the opening Lance needed to get to Keith and get out of here before it notices them.

“Let’s go! Quick!” Lance urged, pulling on Keith’s hand. The child complied, standing up quickly with the same adrenaline Lance had. His bright violet eyes widened in fear, “Lance!”

The said paladin turned to see that the creature was close, its sharp claws aiming at them. He pushed Keith down to the ground again, shielding the child with his body as he hovered above him.

They managed to evade the claws but the creature was still trashing around in pain without a second thought to it’s surroundings. It could stomp them to death at this rate!

“Stand up! We have to run!” Lance stood up quickly, pulling on Keith’s hand as they made a run for it.

He saw a cave few meters away from where they were, thanking the heavens. The creature was too big to follow them inside so it was their only hope of getting away. Now they just had to get to it.

“Lance! There’s more!” Keith pulled on his hair as he spoke, urging Lance to look to the left. The little hope Lance had began to crumble as he saw two more creatures emerge beside the rock where the cave was. They were the same as the creature that was chasing them, big with razor sharp teeth and four legs.

The world froze for a second and the only things that Lance could see were Keith, the cave and then the three creatures. Was this it?

Without any other options, Lance did the only thing he could, run for it. He turned right, running away as the two new creatures took chase, running after them before the third one joined in. The eye that Lance had shot was done for but it still had one more it could use to track them down.

Turning around for a split second, Lance fired his bayard at the new creatures, aiming for their eyes. He managed to hit one as it fell down to knock the other that was running beside it. It didn’t buy them much time because there was a third creature that was still chasing them.

_Think Lance! Think!_

Blue eyes looked around for any signs of caves or places where the monsters wouldn’t be able to follow them. No use hiding in the river either since the creatures were so big that they could stand in the water and still have enough body mass to steady themselves.

“Lance!” Keith yelled as the massive creature reached down to bite them with it’s jaws, missing when Lance fell down in an attempt to evade it. They fell with a thud but the blue paladin quickly recovered, shooting at the creature and managing to hit the inside of its mouth dead on.

Lance tried to stand up again but groaned when he felt a shock of pain pass through his entire body. Quiznak! His ankle was sprained! _Why now!?_

“Keith, you have to run! Get out of here while you still can!”

“No!” Keith ran up to him, worried eyes scanning Lance’s body before landing on his ankle, “I’m not leaving.”

“You have to run! Now!”

“No! _No! No! No!_ ” Keith yelled loudly.

“Listen to me at least once in your life! Go! Run away!” Lance’s eyes were wide and desperate, “Please… Run!”

“I said no!” But Keith wasn’t having it, no matter how much Lance pleaded and yelled, Keith remained where he was, “I-I don’t want to leave… No!” Keith held onto Lance’s hand, his tiny hands shaking.

Lance could only stare in dread as little Keith looked up at the creature that was now hovering above them. Instead of fear, Keith had something else hiding behind those violet irises. Lance couldn’t pinpoint it exactly but the way Keith’s gaze stared back at the creature without a single hint of hesitation told Lance that he was set on staying. _To protect_ … That’s what those eyes were determined to do.

Lance heard a grumble from above, sounding much like laughter. If anything, he could feel the creature’s amusement at the sight of their struggle.

Time slowed for Lance as little Keith took out his blade, taking a step forward as if to block an attack. No… _No! No!_

Without a second thought, Lance immediately pulled on Keith’s hand, surprising the child that began falling down on his back. The blue paladin gathered enough strength to throw himself above Keith, blocking an incoming attack as sharp claws tore through his shirt, leaving behind a massive injury.

Lance let out a scream, his back arching in agony. This was the end, wasn't it? Who would have thought this would be how he goes? He always imagined it would be much more heroic, but then again, saving the person you love is a worthy way to go in his opinion.

“Lance!” Keith was by his side, his hands shaking as his breath hitched in an attempt to fight back the tears and fear, “N-No! Don’t go! No sleep! Lance!”

Ah… He felt so weak… So very weak… But the sight of Keith along with those creatures urged him to keep his eyes open. It might be his end but he won’t allow Keith to share the same fate.

Lance aimed his gun at the creature, managing to shoot one of it’s eyes with incredible luck. Hopefully it would give Keith enough time to run away.

“K-Keith… You have to go… _Please._ ”

“No! I’m staying! I need you Lance! I need you!”

The said paladin smiled. Before he goes, he wants to share something. Maybe Keith won’t remember it when he returns back to normal but at least Lance would have said it, “Keith… I like you a lot. I love everyone like family… _cough_ … Shiro… Allura… Pidge… Hunk… Coran… and you too. I love you all so much but…” He reached out to touch the child’s cheek, “I love you the mo-“

_GRAWWWWW!!!_

“Lance! Lance! Please don’t sleep! _Please…_ ” Keith was desperate, holding onto Lance’s hand as he threw himself over the blue paladin. His hold on Lance was tight but considerate at the same time.

“R-Run… P-Please…”  Lance’s eyes widened when he saw all three of the creatures now hover above them. Their eyes were narrowed, staring down hungrily at them as their saliva dropped down on the ground.

No… This can’t be how it ends, at least not Keith! Lance felt powerless, his eyes heavy as he clung to the feeling of the smaller body on top of his.

He prayed for a miracle, anything to save Keith.

_ Anything. _

_. _

_. _

_. _

Then he felt it… A soft assuring purr that he knew all too well. Tears began to fall down his cheeks when he heard the firing of lasers, followed by the screams of those creatures around them.

The loud thuds against the ground told him that the creatures were running away and soon they were gone. The only sounds that were left were Keith’s sobs, the sounds of two large objects landing as their massive weight touched the ground and then the soft purrs.

Lance didn’t need to open his eyes to know what happened. The purr within his mind told him everything he needed to know, washing over him with assurance and calmness, just like the calming waters back at Varadero beach where he used to swim as a kid.

His vision was fuzzy as he opened his eyes to see little Keith staring upwards in awe. Yeah… Everyone had the same reaction when they saw her for the first time back on Earth. She was magnificent and she was there when he needed her the most.

Lance smiled when he caught sight of Blue and Red hovering above them, looking down at their paladins as if to check if they were okay. Never before was Lance so glad to see Blue again than at this very moment. She was back and she was operational again.

_Take care of him beautiful…_ He whispered to Blue through their bond, feeling himself drifting to unconsciousness.

“It’s okay Lance, we’re-Lance? Lance!” Lance felt Keith’s little hands on his cheeks, trying to keep him awake. He could faintly feel a slap to his face but he was already far gone.

The next thing he knew, Lance found himself surrounded by darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After reading the comments I was torn between making the creatures huge cuddly kittens or blood thirsty monsters like I initially planned them to be. In the end I decided to stick to the plan. Sorry, but I did consider it... It was a tough call. Hopefully the chapter meets your expectations :(
> 
> This story is for "general" audience so I didn't describe any blood or do anything too explicit. I'm seriously lost with the ratings and archive warnings sometimes. Hopefully this is okay.
> 
> Thank you for reading! See you tomorrow with the next update :D
> 
> My Tumblr: [lancyblue](https://lancyblue.tumblr.com/)  
> 


	11. Ouch!

It was both dark and cold as Lance felt himself float in the vast abyss of nothingness. Everything was black, there was no colour at all. He couldn’t even see his hands or legs, all was gone. Nothing existed in this plain of existence and he felt himself feeling all alone.

Nobody was there to accompany him, no one to hold his hand. He smiled to himself, at least he thinks he did, as he thought back to holding little Keith’s hand. It had been so warm… He wanted to hold onto it forever.

He kept floating in the never ending black for who knows how long until light appeared. Its presence startled him, jolting up every inch of his body. It felt warm…

Lance reached out, making his way towards the single source of light. He took a step, then another as he went through.

His eyes were heavy, incredibly so as he attempted to open them. He managed to lift his eyelids for a second before closing them again. The light was too bright, had it always been like that?

It took him some time before he could finally open his eyes fully, his vision blurry as he looked around. He could feel wind blowing against his face, soothing his tired body. Now that he thought about it, he felt like a boulder had fallen on him. He felt all broken and shattered.

He was a mess, wasn’t he? Quiznak, he probably was.

“Lance?” The said paladin flinched as a child’s voice called out his name. Not any child though, it was Keith, better yet the child version of Keith. He was still here. He survived, they both did.

“H-Hey buddy.” _Wow_ , his voice was sore. Probably from the lack of use but also due to the dryness he felt in his throat.

“Lance!” Lance yelped when he felt little Keith jump up on him, hugging him tightly around his neck.

“W-Whoa! E-Easy buddy- _Ouch!_ ”

“You’re okay! You’re awake!” Little mullet sobbed, tightening his hold.

Lance noticed the slight shaking of Keith’s little arms as well as the way he spoke. He must have been worried sick about him. Lance felt guilty about it. How could he do this to a small child? To Keith nonetheless? He was a jerk, a big one at that.  Still, knowing that little Keith worries about him this much made him incredibly happy. He cares, he really does.

“I’m sorry.” Lance slowly raised up his arm, embracing the small child, “I’m sorry for worrying you.”

“I hate you! You’re the worst!”

“H-Hey! Didn’t you miss me?”

Keith shook his head in a pout, clearly irritated. Still, the worry was there. He couldn’t hide it.

Lance closed his eyes for a second, taking a deep breath. Man, he really screwed u- _SLAP!_

“Owww!” Lance screeched, holding onto his cheek. That was a loud slap! “What was that for!?” What was with Keith and slapping? Was that a thing now?

“No sleep!” Keith yelled, his cheeks puff to show his annoyance.

“I wasn’t sleeping! I was just-“

“Stay!” Keith pointed at him, expecting Lance to listen.

The blue paladin raised a brow, watching as Keith leaned to the right to pick something from the ground. Once Lance’s eyes caught sight of it, he tried to sit up in reaction, immediately groaning in pain when he felt his entire back ache. Not a good idea.

“K-Keith? What is that?” Lance eyed a small blue gun that Keith had in his hands. The child moved it to aim at Lance’s back, startling the blue paladin, “Keith!? What are you doing!?”

“Helping.” The child simply said.

Helping? By shooting him!? “Oh no! No! No! _Nope!_ Keith, think about what you’re doing. That’s a gun! See that? People shoot out of it to hurt others!” He pointed at the said gun and if he could, he would reach out and snatch it out of Keith’s hand. That, however, would require him to move and he couldn’t do that because of his back.

Little Keith narrowed his eyes, pointing the gun at Lance. The blue paladin watched with wide eyes as Keith pulled the trigger. He readied himself for the pain that… never came?

Lance looked back to see that the gun didn’t fire a bullet but actually some kind of a laser. It was aimed at his wounds, slowly closing them up. Huh? What?

“What’s that?” Lance asked curiously.

“A gun, to help you.” Keith deadpanned.

“Yeah, I can see that but what is it?” Did they always have it? Where did Keith find it?

“The red kitty told me to get it. It said it would help you.” Keith focused on the gun as it pointed its laser at Lance’s wounds. All Keith had to do was hold it as the laser did the work on its own.

“Red? She told you?” So Keith could still communicate with Red? That’s a relief. Then the gun must be an Altean version of the emergency kit? How come he didn’t know about it before? Well, at least it wasn’t anything primitive like they had on Earth. It managed to close up his wounds just like a healing pod would, but didn’t have the full capabilities of one. He would still need to get in one when he gets back to the castle.

The castle! Now they could contact the others!

Lance pushed himself up with his arms, wincing at the pain. He had to endure, at least until he could reach the others.

“Don’t move, red kitty said so!” Keith said but Lance didn’t listen, managing to stand up. His chest was bare, feeling the wind brush against his skin. He noticed that they were standing under Blue’s head who shielded them from the harsh sun of the desert. Red was just on the other side as well, laying down on the ground so that no creatures could attack them. Actually, both of the lions were laying down in a circle, their paladins between them.

Lance was so glad they had the lions back with them. Now they finally had a chance of getting back to the castle.

“Help me little one. We need to contact the others.”

Keith cocked a brow but complied, helping Lance make his way to Blue the best he could. The large mechanical lion moved her head down, opening her jaw so that the two paladins could enter. They made their way in and Lance wanted to jump in joy when he saw that the cockpit was operational. He would definitely jump if he could.

They approached the pilot chair, Lance throwing himself down on it tiredly. _Its good to be back._ He grinned to himself, pushing a couple of buttons on the dash in an attempt to contact Allura and the others.

“Guys? Hello? Can you hear me?” But all he received in response was a buzz. He tried again, “Guys, it’s me Lance! We’re alive, both Keith and I. We could use your help right about now. Guys?” Nothing but a buzz could be heard. Huh? Did something interfere with their signals?

Lance tried again and again while little Keith watched him curiously. Nothing. Blue and Red may be back but they still couldn’t contact the castle. This meant only one thing and that is that they have to get off this planet on their own.

The blue paladin looked over to Keith in thought, thinking of what to do. Keith wouldn’t be able to pilot Red in his current condition. Would they have to leave her behind? Keith would never agree to it, even if he’s a kid, he still has a close connection to her.

Lance sighed, leaning against his chair. They had no other choice, they had to leave her.

Looking out the cockpit, Lance noticed that the sun was setting down. Now that he thought about it, how long was he out?

"How long was I asleep?”

Little Keith began counting with his fingers, “Ummm… A day?” Little mullet didn’t seem sure of it but Lance remembered that there was a sunset when they were attacked as well, so he must have slept for twenty-four hours. He'll trust little Keith's judgement.

Wait a second... how long were they on this planet? They must have been here for a while now so how come the others didn’t already find them? Did something happen?

“Are you hurting?” Lance could feel Keith’s hand on his own, worry in those violet eyes. Really, he was worrying little Keith much more than he should. Lance took his hand, standing up.

“I’m good, all thanks to you my little hero.” He smiled as Keith looked away, his cheeks red. Somebody should tell him that being this cute was illegal. It was killing Lance from within.

“Let’s go outside. I want to look at the stars.” Lance held onto Keith’s hand as they both made their way out. They'll fly off this planet back to the castle, but before that, they would rest for the night. They needed it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really tired but I still wanted to update. Sometimes my writing is a mess and sometimes it's actually decent. For example, I really like how I wrote the previous chapter cuz I think that the flow of it was good. This one on the other hand... You can definitely tell I was tired writing it cuz it just doesn't flow right with me.
> 
> Anyway, happy reading :) Thank u all for your support.
> 
> (P.S. Sorry for any grammar mistakes or just awkward sentences. Was tired while writing this.)


	12. A warm heart

“It’s okay buddy, I can manage.”

“No, I’ll help.” Keith insisted, supporting Lance as best he could. However, since he was small in comparison to the blue paladin, it proved to be a rather difficult task. Actually, it made it a bit harder for Lance to walk. Still, he did appreciate the thought so he let Keith help him anyway.

A cold wave of wind hit them as they made their way out of Blue’s jaw. They’ll sleep inside one of the lions for the night but since it wasn’t that late and they weren’t that tired, Lance decided it would be a good idea to stargaze.

The blue paladin slowly sat down on the sand, lowering his back so that he could lay down, that is before Keith stopped him, “Don’t.” He pushed Lance’s back upwards again, mindful of the injury, “Red kitty says you should lay the other way around.”

“But that way I won’t be able to see the stars.” Lance complained.

Keith pouted, shaking his head.

“It’s okay Keith. I’ll be careful with my wounds.” Lance assured, moving to lay down while Keith pulled him back up, not listening. Did their roles reverse? He’s suppose to be the adult here! But he’ll give it to Keith, since he’s right.

“Don’t worry.” Lance ruffled the soft black hair, smiling while Keith still had that pout on his face. Lance pushed himself down again before he was pulled up.

“Keith.”

“Lance.”

The blue paladin sighed, “You won’t make this easy, won’t you?”

“No.”

Of course. He’s dealt with older Keith for a while now so he’s prepared. Lance grinned, raising up his hands while little mullet raised a brow. It was his ultimate weapon, one he discovered by pure coincidence. Now he’s using it against Keith whenever he can, both the older one and now the younger one too.

“You asked for it.” Lance attacked, capturing the small child in his arms, aiming for his belly. Ha! Bingo! Little Keith began to laugh, struggling to escape Lance’s grasp.

His ultimate weapon; the knowledge that Keith is ticklish. Although Lance didn’t have that many opportunities to utilise it since Keith would always without a doubt point his dagger at him whenever Lance would try. He ended up stuck in an airlock once when Keith chased after him. Let’s just say that the experience left him terrified of ever attempting it again.

Little Keith, however, was a different story.

“N-No! Stop!” The child laughed, pleading.

“I will if you let me lay down.” He teased.

Little Keith was stubborn but in the end succumbed, “O-Okay! Okay!” He agreed and Lance let go.

It may have been dirty play but it was the only way to convince the stubborn child. Lance grinned while Keith folded his arms. The blue paladin moved his upper body, slowly laying against the ground. It stung a little but the cloth of his clothes protected him. There was little pain but it subdued quickly.

“Join me.” Lance pat the ground beside him, smiling when little Keith complied. Such a grumpy kid. How come older Keith doesn’t have any wrinkles? He pouts and complains so much as a kid that it amazes Lance just how clear older Keith’s skin looks. Genetics maybe?

Looking away from Keith, Lance didn’t have to look twice to notice the beautiful sky above them. There wasn’t a single cloud in the sky, the stars shining brightly against the dark canvas of space. He always heard people say that stars were clearly visible from the top of mountains but also deserts as well. Something about how there were never any clouds there, making the stars really shine through.

The stars were beautiful and for a moment, Lance tried to imagine that he was back on Earth, laying down on the beach. He really misses his home and his family… Especially now since he crash landed alone with Keith. All of the responsibility landed on his shoulders and it really is a heavy burden to bear. He almost lost his life! But, ehem… He doesn’t regret that decision.

Lance twitched when he felt a small hand touch his own, making him look to the side to see little Keith staring up at the sky as well. The small hand made contact for just a second before pulling away. Right, his hand was cold.

“Sorry, I’m a bit cold.” Lance closed his hand in an attempt to warm it up. He felt Keith reach out again.

“It’s okay.” Keith’s voice was soft, a bit sleepy too. His hand moved on top of Lance’s own, “If your hand is cold, then that just means you have a warm heart.”

Lance’s eyes widened, tilting his head to look at Keith. The small child was staring at the sky in thought while the blue paladin felt his cheeks heat up.

“W-What?” Lance asked, embarrassed.

“Mum told me. My hands are always cold too so she told me what it meant.” Keith spoke as if he said the most natural thing, not knowing the effect his words had on Lance. The blue paladin felt his head spin.

“O-Oh… S-She told you?”

Little Keith nodded, “It’s true, mum said so.” He tilted his head to look at Lance, noticing his red cheeks, “Sick?”

“W-What? Me? _Pfft!_ As if! I’m never sick buddy! Haha!” Lance looked away quickly. Those were the sweetest words anyone has ever said to him. This should be illegal! This should totally be illegal! Little Keith will be the end of him, literally.

Lance felt his hair being pulled on in an attempt to make him turn back again, “Don’t hide! You’re sick!”

“I’m not sick!” Lance complained, turning around, “See? I’m as healthy as ever.” His cheeks were still a bit red, yeah, but it’s not like little Keith would know why, otherwise he would tease him about it. _Oh_ older Keith would without a doubt rub it in his face.

Lance sighed as Keith eyed him, trying to determined if Lance was lying to him or not. Geez… Then Keith sneezed.

“Come here. Who’s sick now, huh?” Lance raised his arm to invite the child in but Keith being Keith refused the offer. There was no other choice but for Lance to slide closer. It hurt to move but he still did it, surprising the small child.

“It’s warmer when we’re close.” And that was true, Lance already felt warm. Even when Keith touched his hand again, preventing the redness in Lance's cheeks from vanishing. Quiznak, will it always be like this whenever they hold hands? He has to get this under control if he doesn’t want older Keith noticing it. He’d be humiliated for the rest of his life! He’s not a weak person like that, _nope!_

The two enjoyed each other’s warmth, keeping them safe from the cold desert winds. They didn’t say anything as well, only looking up at the stars as they thought of various things. For Lance it was his memories of home but also thoughts of how he and Keith would get back to the team. The fact that Allura and the rest didn’t find them yet didn’t mean that anything happened to them, did it? There must be a logical explanation for it.

When they get up in space, Lance will get the answers to those questions. Maybe the planet itself had an influence on their communication systems? Either way, they’ll find out tomorrow. For now, they had to rest. The winds were getting unbearably cold too.

“Keith, buddy, we have to go inside.” Surprisingly, little Keith was on the borderline of falling asleep, his eyes barely open. He was fighting to stay awake, the little rebel.

“Come on, up we go.” Lance sat up, giving Keith a hand to pull him to his feet. The action sent a jolt of pain up his spine, making him wince. This injury will be a burden but hopefully it won’t slow him down.

Little Keith helped him up, the thoughtful grumpy kid he was. Then they made their way to Blue, until Lance felt Keith pull on his sleeve, pointing to Red.

Keith’s cheeks were puff as he stared up at the blue paladin. Lance sighed but complied, changing direction. They made their way into Red and to her cockpit. Lance seated himself on the pilot chair, little Keith jumping in his lap.

It hurt to think that they’ll have to leave Red behind. Hopefully Keith won’t hate him for it… Too much…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I used to have incredibly cold hands as a kid so my mum always used to tell me that if I have cold hands, then my heart is warm. My hands are still cold today and she still tells me this. I wanted to incorporate this into the story and this is the result. I like how it turned out :)
> 
> P.S. Thank you to those who gave me ideas for future chapters. If you have more, don't hesitate to share. Actually, they were all so cute that it's painful for me not to include them all. Ugh, the struggle... I'll try...
> 
> I kind of want to finish this story so I can focus on my other stories BUT I don't want to rush it. I don't think it would be fair and it wouldn't do this story justice. I'm still puzzled how this story got so many hits. Just wow... You guys are incredible. Thank you sooooo much! Your support means everything, seriously.


	13. Finally!

The time has come.

“You ready Keith?”

Little mullet nodded, standing in place. He looked puzzled and Lance knew that was probably the case. He did tell the child that they would be travelling up to touch the stars last night but he didn’t actually specify how they would do it. Maybe he should have been more clear about it?

“Remember what I told you yesterday? About touching the stars?”

A nod.

“Well, we’re doing it today so I need you to listen up.” When they woke up, Lance had to go back to where he had dropped the supply bag when the creatures attacked them. Not only did they have food inside but also their armour. They couldn’t go up in space without that.

“Put this on, I’ll help you.”

Little Keith frowned at the sight of the tight armour, looking up at Lance with a defiant look. This kid didn’t make anything easy, nothing at all.

“I know you don’t like it but you’ll need it. Look, I’ll put mine on so you don’t have to suffer alone.” Lance took out his armour, putting it on first. He was boiling instantly, suffocating under the warm sun. Luckily they were sanding under Blue so it wasn’t as bad as it could have been.

Keith complied, the promise of touching the stars motivating him to put on his armour as well. Lance helped him and once they were both suited up, the dreaded moment had come. How should he go on about this?

The blue paladin kneeled down, hands on both of Keith’s shoulders. Here goes… “Are you ready to go to space buddy?”

Little Keith nodded eagerly.

“Great! But before we go, I have to tell you something.”

The child gave him a confused look, waiting for Lance’s next words.

“You see… The red kitty can’t go to space.”

“What?” Keith’s eyes widened, “Why?”

Lance really didn’t want to do this but he had no other choice. Sure Blue could carry Red along with them but what if they find themselves in battle? Red would be dead weight slowing them down, or worse, they might end up protecting Red if they decide to stay and fight. Either way it would spell trouble for them.

The smartest thing to do would be to leave her here and then come back with the rest of the team to retrieve her. This way, Lance and Keith would safely make it back and Red wouldn’t be in any danger. They would take down two birds with one stone.

“Well… When the red kitty came to this planet, she had a friend who helped her move. Now that her friend is gone, she can’t go anywhere. That’s why she can’t go with us BUT we’ll come back for her, I promise. You know I never break my promises.” He tried to reason but by the look on Keith’s face, he could tell that it wasn’t going well.

“Then I’m not going.” Keith said stubbornly, stomping towards Red angrily.

“What?” There he goes. Lance quickly followed, “I don’t like it any more than you do buddy but we need to go get help. When we do, we’ll come back for her, I swear-“

“No! I’m not leaving!” Keith’s was set on his decision.

Little Keith had every right to be angry. If Lance had been put in the same position, he doesn’t think that he would be able to leave Blue behind as well. She means so much to him that he wouldn’t be able to do that to her.

Taking Red along would be a risk but maybe they could take it? Hopefully Lance won’t regret his decision, “Okay, okay, we’ll take he-“

“Red kitty says she can fly!” Little mullet turned towards him, “She can go!”

“What? How?” Lance asked before looking up at Red. The giant lion was sitting down, her head lowered as if watching the two paladins interact with one another. At this moment, her gaze was haunting.

“She says she can fly! I just need to be inside.” Keith explained while Lance tried to understand the meaning of those words. So Keith could still pilot his lion even in his current condition? How? No, forget that! It’s too dangerous! What if something happens?

“No way, you can’t pilot her alone.”

“Why!?” Keith asked angrily, “I can do it!”

“I know you can but it’s dangerous! What if something bad happens!? What then?” Lance didn’t want to be a drag but he had to be the voice of reason at this moment. If it’s not him then who? The sand? That’s everything there was apart from them and their lions.  The blue paladin rubbed at his neck, “This is what we’ll do. You’ll come with me and we’ll carry Red with us. What do you-Keith!?”

The child suddenly took off running towards Red as the giant lion lowered herself to let her paladin inside. Oh no… He can’t be… Is he going to pilot her? Quiznak! If Lance could, he would run after him and catch Keith before he could get inside but due to his injury he could barely move.

The blue paladin watched in panic as Red stood up and took off, flying up to the sky. He had to follow! Lance quickly made his way to Blue, his body killing him as he made his way inside. Blue took off, following Red up into space.

It was a relief to see the desert planet shrink under them, proof that they were finally leaving their temporary confinement. However, Lance couldn’t indulge in the feeling for too long because he had to keep his eyes on Red who was flying in front of him.  He established connection as a window popped up to show little Keith in Red’s cockpit, “Keith! What are you doing!?”

“Flying!” The child had a smile on his face, chuckling as Red manoeuvred to the right and then to the left. Lance watched closely but it didn’t look like Keith was the one in control. This must be Red’s doing, flying around to please the small child.

Lance didn’t know how to feel about this. He was glad that they didn’t have to leave Red behind but at the same time he felt his body tense in worry. His eyes were constantly watching Red’s movements, wary should anything happen.

_Focus_ … Now that they’re here, he needed to contact Allura and the rest. Hopefully they won’t have any interference up here. Lance pressed a few buttons on his dash, hoping for a miracle.

“Hello? Guys, can you hear me? Hello? Anyone?” He tried but there was no reply. He tried again, “Hunk? Pidge? Shiro? _Anyone?_ ” No reply… “Oh come on! Give me a break already!” What did he do to deserve this?

“L-Lan… La… Lance?”

The said paladin perked up at the sudden reply. Pidge! Thank goodness!

“I can hear you Pidge! Loud and clear!” His prayers have been answered!

“You… alive! Where… you?” The transmission was established but it was slowly cutting. Lance had to act fast!

“I-I don’t know. We were stuck on some kind of wasteland planet. I’m sending you the coordinates.” They can’t miss them if he sends those. Sending… Sent! Success!

“Got… Coming… Help.”

“Took you long enough.” Lance felt himself lean against his chair tiredly, the wound on his back throbbing. Finally he could rest…

When a wormhole suddenly opened in front of them and the castle emerged, Lance let out a long sigh of relief. It was over… _They were safe._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The team is finally reunited! If you guys have any ideas for paladin family fluff then don't hesitate to share :3
> 
> I might take a break tomorrow from updating but I'm not sure yet. Just feel tired updating for... What was it? Four or five days straight? It's a challenge but I'm beginning to succumb.
> 
> Thank you for all your support again :)


	14. Come out!

When Blue landed in her hangar, Lance felt tempted to kiss the ground of the castle. Finally! They were back and everything was over. Now he could take a break and rid himself of the responsibilities to little Keith.

Don’t take him wrong, he loves little Keith to death but at the same time the child is just so… _ehem_ … special. These past few days were demanding and Lance felt more than exhausted. At least now he could switch out with somebody else so they could all take care of Keith before they figure out what happened.

“Lance!”

The blue paladin was overwhelmed with relief when Hunk came in running towards him, “Hunk! Where were-OUGH!”

“We were worried sick! How could you do this to us man? Not cool!” The yellow paladin captured him in a tight embrace, or as everyone calls it, Hunk’s bear hug. Hunk really does give the best hugs. The pure soul he is. Ahh… Its good to be back.

“I missed you too buddy.” Lance smiled, “But before the questions are asked, could you…”

“Oh! Of course.” Hunk let go, freeing Lance from his grasp. Now they can get to business.

“So what’s the deal? What took you so long to find us?” Lance folded his arms, “No, no, wait, you didn’t find us. We had to fly off the planet and THEN you guys came. What’s up with that?”

“Oh boy… Where do I begin?” Hunk scratched the back of his neck nervously, “When you and Keith disappeared, we didn’t really know what to do. Haggar managed to escape and we didn’t really want to take out the device you guys passed through, you know, in case it would have an effect on you.” Hunk explained and Lance listened to every word he said.

“So after she escaped, you began to search?” The blue paladin asked curiously.

“Yeah, but it wasn’t that easy. We didn’t even have enough time to understand what happened before Zarkon’s ship appeared out of nowhere. From then on, it’s been a game of cat and mouse. Remember when Zarkon tracked us through the black lion?”

Lance nodded.

“The same thing happened again, but this time we discovered that he put a tracking device on the castle. It managed to evade the castle’s systems and it took us a while to actually find it. That’s why we couldn’t focus on searching or just trying to figure out what happened because the Galra were constantly on our tail.”

“You couldn’t form Voltron.” Lance realised, “They tried to take us out while we were separated.”

“Bingo! We were sitting ducks in space. Yeah, we had three lions but it wasn’t enough. It was hectic around here buddy.” Hunk looked tired, Lance noticed. He had small dark circles under his eyes that told the blue paladin that he wasn’t getting much sleep. Seems the rest of the team had their fair share of trouble as well. He can’t blame them for it.

“But now we’re back.” Lance put his hand on Hunk’s shoulder, “We’ll figure this out.”

The yellow paladin smiled widely, capturing Lance in another bear hug. This time, Lance couldn’t help but wince in pain. Hunk noticed and quickly let go.

“Are you hurt?”

“Yeah.” Lance sighed, hand on his back, “Long story buddy.” Now that he thought about it, where is everyone? “Where’s Shiro and Pidge?”

“Pidge said she wanted to chec-“

“Lance!” Speak of the devil, the green paladin appeared, running towards the two with a smile on her face. She panted as she reached them, looking up at the blue paladin, “Glad to see you made it out alive.”

“And I’m glad to see you and your bird nest of a hair again.” Just like Hunk, Pidge looked tired, her glasses tilted to the side and her hair a mess.

“You’re one to talk.” She noticed his posture. Lance was leaning forward as if in pain, “Injured?”

A nod, “Yep, but it’s not that bad.”

“Great.” Lance didn’t know if she said it sarcastically or if she was genuinely glad it wasn’t serious. The look on her face made him anxious though.

“Something is wrong with Keith.” Pidge suddenly said, “He won’t come out of Red. I was with Shiro when he landed but he just wouldn’t come out. We tried to talk to him but he didn’t respond.” She took Lance’s hand, dragging him out of the hangar, “Let’s go. You have a lot of explaining to do.”

“Actually…” How should he explain this? Best to go with the truth, “Keith isn’t really the Keith we all know.” The two gave him puzzled looks but didn’t stop moving, “He’s a kid.”

“A kid?” Pidge raised a brow as they neared Red’s hangar. Inside, Lance spotted Shiro, Allura and Coran all looking up at Red. Shiro was calling out to Keith, trying to talk to him but without luck.

“Lance! What a relief.” Allura turned, happy to see him.

“Glad to see you well and alive number three. We were worried like frightened Bakleneckers!”

“Lance, do you know what’s wrong with Keith? He won’t come out of Red.” Shiro turned to him as the blue paladin made his way to them. Shiro looked confused and worried, waiting for Lance’s answer.

Geez… Little Keith just can’t give him a break.

“Okay so I know you might not believe me but Keith isn’t really Keith. He’s a little grumpy kid.” Lance explained as everyone focused on him. Puzzled looks quickly spread around.

“What do you mean by that?” Shiro was the one to ask.

“Literally what I said. The magical portal thing did something to him. I think it made him younger.” He’s thought about it while on the desert planet as well but couldn’t figure out what happened that turned Keith into a child, “He doesn’t remember us. All of his memories are of his past, before the time he met any of us.”

“That… doesn’t make sense.” Hunk was confused.

“I know buddy. It didn’t make sense to me either but that’s what happened.” That’s why they had to figure it out, together.

“Okay, we’ll talk about everything in more detail later.” Shiro turned to face Red, “First we have to figure out how to get Keith to come out. Lance, any ideas?”

“Me? _Pfft!_ Of course! Who do you think took care of him when we crashed?” Lance stepped forward, looking up at Red. He’d like to think that little Keith trusts him but he wasn’t sure. The little mullet is just so unpredictable.

“Hey buddy, it’s me, Lance. Can you come out?” He asked softly, looking up at Red’s eyes. He knew that Keith could hear and see them. Didn’t he want to come out?

.

.

.

Nothing.

“Keith? We’re safe, we’re back home. Nobody will hurt you here. See? Look at me, I’m out and I’m okay.” He stretched out his hands to show Keith that he was really okay.

Nothing.

Lance talked for five minutes, trying to get Keith to come out of his lion. Everybody else watched in concern, not knowing what to do.

“Keith! I swear if you don’t come down here, I’ll come up and get you!” Lance yelled, losing his patience. This is a red zone, he knew that, but he was just too tired to deal with this. Can’t Keith have mercy on him?

“Lance, maybe we should get you into a healing pod?” Hunk suggested.

“No Hunk, you don’t understand. He won’t come out, I know it.” Lance knew that better than anyone else. He glared up at Red, unimpressed.

“Keith Kogane! If you don’t come down here, I’ll-I’ll…” Ugh! “Keith Akira Kogane Junior! If you don’t listen there will be-“

“Akira? Junior?” Pidge tilted her head to the side, “How do you know his middle name?”

“I don’t! I just wanted to be more threatening okay!”

Everyone deadpanned.

“I don’t think this’ll work. We’ve been standing here for more than five minutes and he’s still not coming out.” Shiro was losing his patience, worried.

“I think we should be more gentle. If Keith is truly a child, then he’ll be frightened by Lance’s… choice of words.” Allura said while Coran nodded in agreement.

“Perhaps I should be the one to take on this task. After all, I remember the time when the princess-“ A hand on his mouth shushed him.

“Coran, no.” Allura’s look was deadly.

Frightened? That’s it! Keith doesn’t know them. He doesn’t know anyone apart from Lance so that must be why he’s afraid to come out. He’s scared. Everything is new to him.

“That’s it!” Lance turned to Allura, “Apple of my eye, the rose of my world, I knew you would-“

“Lance.” Shiro was unimpressed.

“Okay, okay.” The blue paladin turned back to face Red, “I have a plan but I need you all to get out or at least hide so that Keith can’t see you.”

“What do you have in mind?” Pidge asked.

“He’s scared. All he needs is some assurance.” It was so easy, how could he not see it before?

“Alright but if he doesn’t come out in five minutes, we’ll take you to a healing pod. Even though the injury was tended to, it’s still a serious one.” Shiro said before turning around to leave, the rest following.

“We’ll wait for you at the bridge buddy.” Hunk was worried, hesitantly leaving Lance behind in the hangar. They didn’t know what happened to Keith but they felt that Lance was the only one who could get him out of his hiding.

Here goes nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you guys see the mystery Voltron post? The one with the umbrella and rain? It's either hinting at the release date for season 5 or maybe it has something to do with Lance? Lance character arc plz? I NEED IT!!!
> 
> Sorry for not updating yesterday. I took a break and decided to draw instead. I drew Lance but it's just blah... [Here](https://starellas.tumblr.com/) it is if you want to check it out.
> 
> (Also sorry for my crappy writing. Sometimes it just flows nicely and sometimes it's terrible. ugh)


	15. What did you say!?

“They’re gone.” Lance sat down on the ground, getting comfy. Unlike before, this time he knew he had to go easy on the small child. Fear of the unknown, that’s what this was. Lance tried to imagine himself in the same position and while he thinks that he would have already been out and jumping around, every kid is different. Keith may be the shy type?

“Are you scared?” He asked as he looked up at Red again.

No reply.

“That’s okay, everyone would be scared. I’m sorry for yelling at you earlier. I didn’t mean any of it.” Will Keith believe him? He really meant it.

“I know you saw everyone that was here, you know, the group of people that just left. You may not know them but they’re all very friendly. They want to help you ehmm… Want to be your friends.” He’ll have to be careful with his choice of words. Little Keith doesn’t know about their predicament after all.

“Do you want to meet them? I’ll be with you too.” Lance pointed towards his chest, “I’ll always be with you buddy. We’re friends, right? We help each other out. Don’t forget that you’re my little hero so I need you to come down and save me again.”

The blue paladin looked upward in anticipation but nothing. Red didn’t move or show any signs of lowering her head, no response.

Lance sighed. What else could he do? Was it not good enough? Is Keith… hurt? No, he can’t be. He was okay when Lance saw him through the comms. Could he have touched something? Maybe a circuit? What if it electrocuted him? What if-Okay, he was panicking again.

“Keith, I need you. Please, come down.” Lance pleaded.

A response finally came.

Red lowered her head, opening her jaws to let out her paladin. Inside, Lance spotted little Keith as he stood in place. He was hesitant but gathered the courage to run up to Lance, throwing himself at the blue paladin in a hug.

“Ouch! You okay buddy?” Lance could feel the wound on his back again but tried to push the pain away. Right now he had to focus on Keith who was clinging to him tightly.

“Don’t worry little one, we’re finally home. We’re okay.” He stroked some of Keith’s black hair in assurance, remembering how it eased his little cousins when they cried after getting into a fight. They fought a lot back then so Lance had his hands full.

Little Keith pulled away, looking at Lance with cautious eyes. He was searching for safety within the blue paladin and Lance was more than glad to provide it. The said paladin smiled, raising up his hand.

“Trust me?”

Little mullet slowly nodded, taking his hand. The familiar warmth was there, not only giving Keith the confidence he needed, but also relieving Lance by knowing that Keith trusted him again. Progress.

“Are you shy?”

Little Keith shook his head.

“Good.” Lance ruffled Keith’s black hair, “Do you want to meet everyone else?”

A nod.

“They won’t bite, I promise. Well, maybe the one with glasses might but-“

Keith looked terrified.

“Just kidding! Nobody will bite you, I promise. You can trust me.”

A nod.

“Let’s go explore!” Lance raised Keith’s hand up as they both made their way to the bridge. Keith was cautious in his walk, looking around the halls as if something would jump out at him any moment now.

Lance had tried to assure him that he was safe, thanking the heavens that Keith believed him. It felt nice… He was the only one who had Keith’s trust, the only one he would listen to. Lance felt closer to Keith than he ever felt before. It was a good feeling.

The door of the bridge hissed open, revealing the rest of the team. They all turned to greet them but once they spotted Keith, they were all shocked.

“You really weren’t lying when you said that Keith was a kid.” Pidge pushed up her glasses.

“How did that happen?” Hunk took a step forward but as he did, Keith tensed. He hid behind Lance, holding onto his shirt tightly. He peeked out from behind him, looking at the group of strangers.

“Easy guys, little Keith is a bit shy so…”

“How adorable! That is considering it’s Keith we’re talking about.” Allura leaned forward, trying to get a closer look. She had never seen a human child before so the encounter was a first for her. As far as she could tell, the child was just a smaller version of himself, younger. Interesting, definitely different from the Alteans whose ears are still developing so they’re not as pointed as compared to the adults. Not to mention that the Altean children don’t have fully developed markings as well, which would be still expanding.

“Adorable indeed, however, I am unfortunate enough to announce that number four has lost his ranking. From here on out, Pidge, you are the new number four.” Coran announced, “And Keith, you are the new number five now.”

The child blinked, but remained hidden. His expression; a scowl.

“Is this because of the wormhole Lance and Keith went through? That must be what caused it.” Shiro said, looking down at Keith who narrowed his eyes.

“It would make sense.” Pidge typed away on her screen, pulling up a window that showed a model of the said wormhole, “But then if it’s because of the wormhole, then how come Lance was unaffected?"

The team turned to look at the blue paladin.

“Luck?”

“I doubt it.” Pidge dismissed the idea, “The strange wormhole must have affected you as well, but maybe in another way. How do you feel? Anything unusual?”

“Not really, I feel normal apart from the injury.” Did he miss something?

Pidge eyed him while Hunk anxiously stood in place. Okay, now he was beginning to worry. He blamed his friends for transferring their worries over to him. That’s the last thing he needed right now.

“Lance, you said that Keith doesn’t remember anything?” Shiro asked.

“Yeah. He only has memories of his childhood.” The life he had up to the age he is now, nothing after that.

“I’ve been thinking about what you said and I thought of something.” Pidge turned to Lance and little Keith who was still hiding behind Lance, “It could be possible that time travel is involved. It’s just a theory but maybe this Keith isn’t our Keith at all. They could have switched places.”

The bridge was suddenly dead quiet.

Time travel? Lance never thought that was an option. How could that happen? Wait, so that would mean… He turned to little Keith who was as confused as everyone. This Keith, is from the past?

_ WHAT!? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't even know what I'm doing anymore ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	16. I warned you

“Wait, let me get this straight. You think little Keith is from the past?” Is time travel even a thing? How is that possible!? But then again, they’re in space on a giant castle spaceship piloting five lions that combine to form one big robot. Anything is possible. Time travel would be just a cherry on the cake.

“I’m not saying it’s definite. It’s just a theory at this point. We won’t get any answers until we check Keith and run a couple of diagnostics on him.” Pidge’s words made Keith grumble, tightening his hold on Lance’s shirt.

This isn’t going to be easy.

“What else could it be then? Apart from time travel?” Shiro was the one to ask.

“There are three possible options. One is that Keith reverted back to his younger self and the memories he had were reversed along with him. Second is time travel, and the third option is that some of his quitessance could have been taken. When you take someone’s quitessance, it’s as if you’re taking their life itself. We don’t know what could happen as a result but I speculate that turning into a child could be an option.” Pidge explained.

“I hope it’s the first option.” Time travel would mean that their Keith is alone in the past and the third option is just outright frightening. If Keith doesn’t get his quitessance back, would that mean that he would stay like this forever?

“We’ll have to run the diagnostics, but before that, we need to get Lance into a healing pod.” Shiro took a step forward and Keith tensed in reaction.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Lance put his hand on top of Keith’s head to calm him.

“What?”

“Well…” Lance eyed Keith and then Shiro, Keith then Shiro. The message had gotten through as the black paladin let out an ‘Oh’.

“Yeah, it’s gonna be a problem.”

“I never thought Keith was a shy kid. Who knew?”

“I thought he would be a bit more of a hothead.”

“Oh no! Don’t be deceived, he’s definitely a hothead.” Lance eyed the small child, giving him a ‘look’. Keith grumbled, pinching Lance’s hand, making the other wince.

“But you’re injured Lance.” Hunk spoke up, “You need the healing pod.”

“I know but-“

“We’ll take care of him. He’ll warm up to us.”

“I don’t know…”

Pidge grinned, “Mama Lance worried for her child?”

“W-What!? Of course I’m-NOT! Not worried, no, _nope!_ I’m just concerned is all AND I’m NOT ‘Mama Lance’. ‘Papa Lance’ sounds way better if anything.”

Lance is such a mother hen.

“Sorry dude but you’re definitely a mama.”

“Even you Hunk!?” The betrayal! “I’m hurt, thanks guys.”

“No problem.” Nobody was bothered about it, giving Lance smug looks.

The blue paladin sighed, “Let’s just go to the med bay. Then you’ll see what I’m talking about.”

The team didn’t argue as they all made their way to the said room. Keith was stuck to Lance like glue, not letting go of the blue paladin. As he walked he eyed the rest of them warily. His glare was analysing, making the rest uncomfortable.

“Don’t stare Keith, it’s rude.” Lance ruffled his hair, making the child grumble.

“How sweet.” Allura chuckled.

“You two seem closer than before. What happened on the planet you were on?” Shiro asked.

“It’s a long story. I’ll tell you all about it later.” When he comes out of the healing pod and IF he gets into it in the first place.

They reached the medical bay quickly and Lance went ahead to put on the white suit they always wear inside the pods. Now then, to confront the problem at hand…

“I’m not sure this is a good idea.”

“Stop worrying about your child Lance, you need to heal. We’ll take care of him while you’re inside, nothing to worry about.” Pidge took a step closer, reaching out to touch Keith before the child moved to the other side of Lance, sticking out his tongue.

“Y-You! Why would you-“

“See! I told you this would happen.” Lance placed his hands on his hips in a knowing manner. He looked at the others, waiting for the next victim.

“No need to worry! Back in my day, I used to take care of many Altean children!” Coran stepped closer, kneeling down in front of Keith. The older Altean extended his hand, “Greetings Keith. You might not remember me but-OWWW!”

Little Keith attacked, pulling on Coran’s moustache. Lance quickly grabbed onto the small child in an attempt to free the older Altean. He managed to pull Keith away as Coran fell down, rubbing his abused moustache, “My pride and joy! How could you!?”

The corners of Keith’s lips curved, malicious intent in his eyes. It made the poor Altean shiver.

“Keith! You can’t do that! Don’t you know that you should respect your elders!?” Lance scolded but it had little effect on the child. He did seem a bit guilty so Lance took it as a sign that he was getting through to him, even if just a little.

“Now I understand why you were so troubled Lance.” Allura took a step forward, presenting herself as the next target. She kneeled down in front of the child, a smile on her face, “Greetings little one, I believe that we didn’t meet yet. My name is Allura, daughter of King Alfor. It’s a pleasure to meet someone as courageous as yourself.”

Courageous? _Aha_ , Allura is trying to praise him to get on his good side. However, the plan didn’t seem to work because little Keith didn’t understand what the word meant. Lance stepped in.

“She thinks you’re brave. Isn’t that great?” When Lance explained it, little Keith’s cheeks began to blush. He hid his face further behind Lance to hide his cheeks.

It’s working! Allura is a genius!

Shiro approached, kneeling beside Allura as well, “I’ve heard a lot of good things about you as well. I’m Shiro and I would like to be your friend, that is if you allow me to.” He smiled, both of them waiting for Keith’s reaction.

The child peeked out, warily analysing them. Lance gulped, hoping it would work.

“Okay.” Little Keith nodded, coming out of his hiding. Everyone was relieved when Keith shook both Shiro and Allura’s hands, accepting them as his friends. Thank the heavens! Count on space dad Shiro to know his way with kids, along with space mom Allura. Now Lance could finally get into the healing pod.

“Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some healing to do.“ He turned to get in, Keith watching him go. Lance couldn’t look away from Keith as the pod slowly closed. The child had a worried expression on his face, heartbrokenly watching as Lance slowly fell asleep.

Hopefully little Keith will be okay until Lance comes out of the pod.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Half of this chapter was written on a plane. I was travelling today and now I'm home and it's 3am! Still, I wanted to update cuz I love reading your comments in the morning :) I wrote the next chapter too so it's done and ready to update for tomorrow ;)


	17. The key to every heart is...

Lance dreamed of his home back in Cuba, of his family and friends he had as a child. His house was always full so it was always hard for him to find some peace and quiet. Be it the cries of children or his mother’s yelling to come down for dinner, there was always something. It bothered him back then but now he misses it.

Space is so quiet, not a single sound to be heard. He had the rest of the team, sure, but he still missed his family back home. Everyone did, long distance does that to you. They were all thrown into a war they didn’t have a part in but they still chose to fight because they knew it was for the greater good.

In the end, they all became a big space family of their own. Everyone was scared and everyone had loved ones waiting for them back on Earth. That is everyone except for Keith, Allura and Coran. Allura and Coran were the only survivors of an advanced race, hoping for the possibility that there is a colony somewhere out there that managed to survive. Lance hoped along with them, wishing for them to find a new place to call home when the war is over.

The one person Lance was confused about was Shiro. He didn’t really know much about their leader’s personal life but he suspected that he had a family waiting for him as well.

Then there is Keith, an orphan. Ever since they found out about Keith’s heritage, everyone had come to question who his parents were. It sparked curiosity but also mixed emotions within the team, especially Allura who bore deep hatred for the entire Galra race. Eventually she did come to accept Keith for who he is, and that relieved Lance greatly.

Still, the thought that Keith wouldn’t have anyone to come back to was sad to think about. If he didn’t have a home, then Lance though that maybe he could share his? It was a thought he played with for a while now but he never really told Keith about it. They weren’t that close. They were rivals, and nothing more.

After spending time with little Keith, however, a speck of hope grew within the blue paladin. Maybe, just maybe, Keith felt the same way? It was stupid of him to think that but it still made him really happy.

When Keith returns back to normal and they’re all safe, maybe he should ask him about it? He didn’t know if Keith would remember what they did when he was a child but Lance hoped that he’d remember. He wants Keith to remember everything.

When the healing pod slowly slid open, Lance stumbled out tiredly. He was wobbly on his legs, trying to come back to his senses after being asleep for who knows how long.

He blinked a couple of times when he spotted both Shiro and Allura sitting on a stair in front of him, more than exhausted.

“W-What happened? Don’t tell me-“ He felt a tug on his hand, looking down to see little Keith cling to him. His eyes were closed and his hold was tight. Did something happen?

“He wouldn’t leave your side. Ever since you fell asleep, he’s been waiting for you to wake up.” Allura was relieved, yawning tiredly.

Keith stayed here the entire time? “How long was I inside?”

“A day, since your injuries were tended to after the attack, it didn’t require as much time as it normally should have.” Shiro rubbed at his eyes, also exhausted.

“You both look terrible. What did you do while I was asleep?”

Allura and Shiro both looked at one another before turning back to Lance, “He was trying to open the pod when the healing process began. Then we chased him but didn’t manage to catch him. He refused to leave so we brought some food but he wouldn’t touch it.”

Geez… Lance’s fears came true. He pat little Keith on the head, “Were you worried?”

A nod.

“I’m okay, see?” He raised up his hands to show the other that he was really fine, “Are you hungry?”

Another nod.

“Me too, let’s go eat.” Lance stretched out his arms. He felt much better but he was starving, “Then after that, you’ll tell me why you caused trouble again. I thought you liked Allura and Shiro?”

Keith nodded but looked hesitant, “But I like Lance more.”

The blue paladin smiled widely. Maybe it was because he just came out of the healing pod, but he didn’t feel like scolding the child right now. Although he did feel incredibly happy that little Keith cared about him that much.

“Apologise first.”

Keith turned to Allura and Shiro, “Sorry.”

“Apology accepted." Shiro said before turning to Lance, "Will you make it to the kitchen on your own Lance? We didn’t get much sleep last night.” They were guarding little Keith.

“Of course, sorry for the trouble.”

The both of them smiled, “It’s no trouble, we’re a team, remember? And we’ll figure this out together as well.” Shiro assured in his dad tone before turning around to leave with Allura.

“Hunk said he would be making some cookies. I hope they’ll be to Keith’s liking.” Allura told them before they both disappeared behind the door.

They really had great friends. Lance wouldn’t give them up for the world, “Want some cookies buddy? You have to try them.” He dressed up in his casual clothes, putting on his green jacked before taking Keith’s hand to go to the kitchen.

“Hunk is a great chef. I know you’ll like-no, you’ll adore them, just you wait and see!” When they reached the said room and the door hissed open, they immediately spotted Hunk behind the counter, working his magic on the cookies.

“Hunk! My solace! Got anything for us?” Lance called out loudly while Hunk turned to spot them.

“Right on time! The cookies just came out of the oven.” He showed them the steaming tray that contained the blue cookies. Hunk had come a long way mastering his alien friendly cuisine while on the ship. Thanks to Hunk’s efforts, the once inedible space goo will never taste the same.

Lance took one, taking a bite before relishing the sweet taste. He took another, giving it to little Keith, “Try.”

Little Keith took the cookie, taking a bite. His eyes soon lit up, munching down on the rest of the cookie hungrily.

Lance smiled, turning to Hunk, “I think you just won over little Keith’s heart buddy.”

The yellow paladin gave him a thumbs up, “Food is the key to everyone’s heart.”

“I couldn’t agree more.” Food? The key to everyone’s heart? Aha! Both Lance and Hunk grinned, turning to look at little Keith whose mouth was stuffed with the sweets.

_Oho_ … Little Keith won’t know what hit him.

“You thinking what I’m thinking?”

“Yeah-I mean no, you’re thinking what I’m thinking?”

“What?” Lance blinked, “No, no, you’re thinking what I’M thinking! And Hunk, buddy, we’re rolling with this whether you like it or not.”

“Oh no, no! I’m with you buddy. Let’s do this.”

The two high fived while the ignorant child ate. Leave it to the best friend duo to think of this ingenious plan. Why didn’t they think of this before? Why didn’t Lance think of this before!?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This whole chapter was written on a plane. Managed to finished it on time just before landing ;)
> 
> I'm really baffled as to what makes a story popular here... Like, this story was never meant to be serious and it was just suppose to be practice so I can get the hang of writing a Voltron fanfic BUT it turned into my most popular story. I have some other stories I dedicate more time and attention to but nothing ;3; How? What is the key? I know smut is an instant hit and... maybe cuteness? (for this story XD) What is the secret here? ఠ_ఠ Consistency? Quality? Both?


	18. 1/5

“Lance, buddy, are you sure you’re okay?”

“What, me? Never felt better.” The blue paladin stretched out his arms, patting his belly contently. He didn’t know how many of Hunk’s cookies he’d eaten but it was A LOT for sure. After getting healed and stuffing himself full, he felt like his old self again.

“Good, then come and help me. Why am I doing all the work anyway?”

“Because Hunk, you’re the cook, remember?”

“But I know you can cook too. Why don’t you-“

“Blah~ Blah~ What? You think I’m handsome? Well, thank you chef.” Lance looked away despite the smug on his face. It was true that he knew how to cook but he didn’t want to do it. Why? Well, because right now, Hunk was making a huge batch of cookies that could last them an entire week. Hmm… Why you ask? It’s all a part of their plan to win little Keith over.

“Are you done yet?”

“Don’t complain while I’m cooking.” Hunk was done with the last batch, ready to bake them, “Instead you should help-“

“So! Keith!” Lance turned to the child who looked up at him. Despite little Keith’s slim petite body, the child sure had enough room for food. He ate two full batches and he’s still not ready to stop. That’s a good sign. They’ll nail this.

“Did you like the cookies?” Lance asked as little Keith nodded, “Let me tell you a secret.” Lance leaned closer, “There are other cookies hidden around the ship. If you want them, you’ll have to find the people you saw and ask them where they are.”

The child frowned, not delighted by the idea of talking to others.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be with you every step of the way. We’ll find them all, just you wait and see.” Lance ruffled the black hair, already used to the way this simple gesture manages to relax Keith every time.

“Okay, I’ll find them.”

“Great!” All going according to plan, “You see this person?” Lance pointed at Hunk, “He’ll give you more cookies if you ask for them.”

The yellow paladin had finished all the cookies by now, joining the two at the table. Keith tensed but relaxed when he saw a tray of cookies that Hunk was holding out to him. The yellow paladin had a huge friendly smile on his face, “Hey, I’m Hunk. Nice to meet you Keith-erm, little Keith.”

The child was wary, snatching a cookie before chewing on it. His eyes lit up, relishing the sweet taste.

Lance encouraged Hunk to go on, and the yellow paladin did, “Do you like them?”

Little Keith nodded.

“That’s great! Did you know I made them?”

Keith shook his head, looking up at Hunk as he chewed.

“Well, I did, and I can make more for you if you’d like. Actually, is there anything else you’d like to try? Any favourite foods? Chocolate? Cakes? Pancakes?”

“I like pancakes! Mum makes them a lot!”

“Then I can make them for you later. Deal?”

“Deal!” Keith smiled and it was at that point that he decided that he liked Hunk, “I’ll let you be my friend. You’re nice.”

“Aww, thank you little Keith.” Hunk managed to make it through to the child and finally Lance felt like they took a step forward. One down, four more to go.

“Do you know where I can find more?” Keith asked the yellow paladin who was more than glad to answer.

“I think Pidge might have some with her. She’ll give you more if you ask for them.” Hunk looked back at Lance who was already hiding the rest behind his back. Their plan was genius! 

They’ve divided the cookies into five bags, each for every member of the team. They would look for them with Keith and the child would be forced to talk to the others because of the cookies. _Tadah!_ Friendships formed! Food is the key after all~

“She’s in the common room. You should look for her there.” Hunk advised while little Keith nodded.

“Lance! Let’s go!” Keith tugged on the said paladin’s arm, pulling him towards the door.

“I’m coming! Don’t worry! Wait for me at the door okay?” Surprisingly, little Keith listened, running to the door before turning to glare at Lance, waiting impatiently.

“Since when were you guys so close?” Hunk had never seen the two so… tight. Keith and Lance always had a strange relationship but this? They were so close it was a bit scary.

“ _Hah!_ You wound me Hunk! Keith and I were always tight in our own way.” Lance placed his hand on his chest, “Even Keith can’t resist my charms.”

“Yeah but weren’t you complaining how Keith doesn’t notice you eno-“

“Ahhh! You gotta go!” Lance placed his hands on Hunk’s shoulders, “Remember the plan and stick to it. The fate of Voltron hangs in the balance.”

Hunk was unimpressed, “Fine.” The yellow paladin took his leave, leaving the two behind. Lance sighed in relief, turning to little Keith. Now he just has to buy Hunk a bit of time before they begin their journey around the castle.

“Will you tell me why you were causing trouble earlier?” Lance asked as he approached the frowning child, lowering his gaze, “Allura and Shiro are good people. They wouldn’t hurt you.”

“I know but I wanted to stay. I didn’t want to go.”

“Why? Were you scared?”

Little Keith shook his head, “You were hurt. I didn’t want to leave.”

Lance raised a brow, “So you didn’t leave because you were worried? For me?”

Keith frowned but slowly nodded to confirm Lance’s words.

“T-That’s…” Kind? Sweet? Incredibly heart warming? Tearing Lance’s poor heart to shreds with love? Absolutely! “Thanks little one.” Lance ruffled the black hair, trying to hide his tinted pink cheeks by doing so. Child Keith can be incredibly embarrassing sometimes, “I’ll forgive you.”

“But I did nothing wrong.”

“You caused trouble! What’ll I do with you?”

“Give me more cookies.”

“You have to earn them buddy.” Hunk should have had the time to deliver the first batch to Pidge by now so it was probably safe to go. Alright! First stop, the green paladin.

“Let’s go ask Pidge about the cookies.”

Keith beamed, following Lance down the hall. Being a babysitter wasn’t that bad at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank u all for your feedback! I really, really appreciate all your comments. I don't really care if this story is 'popular' or not but I did want to know why it was receiving attention. I found out about the tags and how updated fics show up first on the page. I want to apologise to the poor souls who are bored by now from seeing this story in the tags every day XD All that matters to me in the end is that this story puts a smile on your face on a depressing day :) (cliche but true)
> 
> Today I managed to update this but also post a new story! I wrote a soulmate klance au long ago and it was just sitting around in my files, forgotten, so today I put up the first chapter. Otherwise I feel like I would never get a chance to work on it if I didn't post it here. It's really angsty, completely different from this story XD


	19. 3/5?

“Pidge! We’re here!”

“Quiznak.”

Well, that wasn’t the greeting Lance expected. He and little Keith had just entered the common room, spotting Pidge in one of the couches with her laptop in her lap. She was working on some mumbo jumbo she usually busies herself with.

“Wow! Okay, rude.” Lance approached, little Keith beside him.

“What do you two dorks want? I’m working on something important so-“

“This is important Pidge! The survival of Voltron is at stake here!” Lance stressed and Pidge finally looked up from her screen at the two intruders. She looked at Lance with a dumbfounded look before turning to Keith. The child blinked, sticking out his tongue.

“Why you-“

“Whoa! Keith!” Lance hid the child behind his back. This isn’t helping his and Hunk’s efforts at all. Could it be that Keith has it in for Pidge? What did she do to him?

“He didn’t mean anything by it. I swear.”

“Oh… I beg to differ.” The green paladin adjusted her glasses before returning her attention onto her laptop. This is going to be harder than Lance thought.

“Was Hunk here? Did he give you the goods?”

“Yeah, he came by and gave me some cookies. Then he ran off saying something about finding Allura and Shiro. What’s that all about?” She peeked up at Lance, “What are you two up to?” She asked warily, “Wait, actually I don’t wanna know. Leave me out of it-“

“Nope! We’re Voltron so if one of us needs help, we’ll all pitch in to help.” Lance leaned closer, almost pleading, “Please Pidge, you’re our only hope.”

The green paladin deadpanned, “Don’t use that quote on me.”

“Please?”

Her hazel eyes moved onto Keith again, the child frowning. They were in a predicament so she supposed that she could help them, “Alright, what is it?”

Lance grinned, “Do you have the goods?”

“Goods? What goods?”

“The _goods_ Pidge.” He leaned in closer so that Keith couldn’t hear him, “The cookies! Do you have them?”

“Oh.” Pidge reached behind her back, taking out a bag of cookies Hunk had given her, “You mean these?”

It was one of the bags Hunk had with him but this… Half of them were already eaten! “How could you eat them!? Didn’t Hunk tell you what they were for?”

Pidge raised a brow, “He just ran away. What else was I suppose to do with them?”

How could Hunk be this careless? Well, they still had the other half so the plan could still be carried out. Pidge is a genius so surely she would understand. Lance gave her a hint, pointing to the cookies and then at Keith. When she gave him a confused look, the blue paladin pointed at Keith again, wiggling his eyebrows.

_Oh…_

“You want me to bribe Keith with cookies? What kind of a mother are you?”

“Excuse you! I’m great with kids! You’re just jealous. Plus I’m not a mother!”

“Sure.” Pidge turned to the child, ignoring Lance completely. Little Keith saw the cookies in her hands, face lighting up at the sight of them. He was wary though, looking up at Pidge with a pout.

Little mullet extended his hand, as if waiting for her to give him the cookies, “Cookies.”

“Here.” Pidge didn’t hesitate, handing over the cookies without a second thought. That is until Lance grabbed her hand, pushing the cookies back to her, “Pidge! What’re you doing!?”

“Giving him the cookies? Isn’t that what you wanted?”

“What? No! That’s not the point.” He leaned closer again, “You have to win him over, that’s why Hunk and I made this opportunity for everyone. Don’t waste our efforts.”

“So you want me to give them to him or not?”

“Yes!”

“Here.”

“Pidge!” Lance pushed the cookies back to her.

“Lance, you can’t buy someone’s love with bribery. That’s not how it works.”

“I know that, it’s just that we don’t have the time.” They can’t form Voltron and Zarkon was right on their tail as far as everyone told him. They could be attacked any moment now. The rest of the team had managed to find the tracking device but there was still the possibility that Zarkon would find them. What then? They would be helpless without Voltron, “Please Pidge.”

The green paladin sighed, giving in, “Fine, I’ll do it but on one condition.”

“Anything.”

“You’ll let me examine Keith. I ran tests on both Red and Blue but I couldn’t find any traces of outside influence. The traces of Haggar’s magic are gone so Keith is the only key to all of this. I need to check him.”

That’s it? “We were gonna check up on him anyway so I agree.” Although… “Will it hurt?”

“If sticking wires to his body is considered painful then yes, he'll be in great pain.” She teased, "No, it won't hurt."

“Good.” That’s a relief.

“Then let’s go to the med bay. The sooner we get him checked up, the sooner we can-“

“Actually! Can we do it a bit later? I want Keith to be comfortable with everyone before we do anything.” It would be better for Keith that way as well.

Pidge hesitated, wanting to get the examination done. It’ll give them a deeper insight into what happened to both Lance and Keith. However, seeing as Keith is a troublesome child, she’ll give Lance the time he needs, “How about tonight?”

But that’s too early… Would Keith trust them enough by tonight? He does want Keith to return back to normal as quick as possible but would it be alright this way? Would he be scared? Or feel cornered? They need his trust first, all of them.

“I know how you feel Lance but the sooner we get it done, the closer we'll be to fixing everything. Maybe we’ll figure out how the wormhole affected you as well?”

The blue paladin sighed, “I’m fine Pidge. I’ve never felt better.”

She gave him a dubious look, concerned, “We’ll see when we get the examination done.” For now, they had to bribe the child and win over his love. Ugh… How did she get into this mess?

“Want the cookies?” She asked the child who nodded eagerly, “I’ll give them to you but first…” What should she say? “W-What games do you like? Yeah! Is there anything you want to play?”

“Play?” Keith stared in thought, stepping closer to Pidge and out of his hiding. The green paladin took it as a good sign, eagerly waiting for an answer. If it was a game, then she would be able to win him over. She was a pro in Mario Kart and countless other games back when she used to play with Matt.

Then the unexpected happened…

Pidge flinched when she felt Keith grab her glasses, taking them off. The child smirked, holding onto them before challengingly raising them up in the air, “Tag!”

“M-My glasses! Give them back!”

Lance was taken completely by surprise. He didn’t expect this at all! He screeched when he saw Pidge stand up angrily and form her bayard in her hand, “Pidge! No!”

“Let go Lance! I need my glasses back!”

“T-They’re just glasses! Aren’t you overreacting?”

Pidge froze, body going limp as she stood in place. When she looked back up again, Lance saw the most horrifying expression he had ever seen on the petite green paladin, “Those glasses are priceless Lance! I need them back!”

“O-Okay! Okay! I’ll get them for you.” Wow, he never saw Pidge this mad before. It was the first time he had seen her without her glasses too! That was unexpected. He turned to the child, hands in the air to show he means no harm, “Keith, buddy, those glasses are very important. Give them back.”

“No!” Keith held them in his hand, turning and making a run for it.

“You little!” Pidge took off after him immediately, chasing the child.

“Wait!” Lance ran out of the common room and now all three were running down the hall. The blue paladin felt his body shudder when he saw Pidge raise up her bayard. He quickly caught up to her, preventing her from shooting her hook, “Pidge! Don’t shoot!”

“Let go Lance! I need those glasses!”

“I’ll get you new ones! Why are they so important? And how are you so bad with kids!?”

“I’m not bad with kids!” She yelled between her pants, “And the glasses are priceless!” She stressed, “They were Matt’s glasses! They’re one of a kind!”

They were Matt’s? Quiznak… Pidge will never forgive them for this.

“Keith! Get back here!” If Keith breaks those glasses, his chances of getting along with Pidge will be over. Worse! Even normal Keith won’t be able to face Pidge anymore! They’ll be enemies for life! Pidge will never forgive them for this for the rest of BOTH their lives!

“Keith! Stop!”

The child didn’t listen, running as fast as he could from them. How was little mullet so fast!? Despite his short legs, he still managed to outrun them!

The heavens must have heard their calls because just as Keith was about to turn the corner, he bumped into something, falling down on his butt. Lance heard a grumble behind the wall as he ran to Keith, both him and Pidge restraining the child.

As soon as Pidge had gotten to him, she snatched back her glasses, “Thank goodness! They’re okay!” She was so relieved… These glasses were one of her most prized possessions. She didn’t know what she would do without them.

“Oh! Hello gentle lads! And gentle lady! What are you-“ Coran was on the floor and judging by his position, he had been the one Keith had bumped into.

“Thanks Coran, we owe you one.” Lance blinked when he noticed the horrified expression on Coran’s face. Did he see something? “Coran?”

The poor Altean looked horrified. He gulped, quickly standing up, “N-No worries! I’m quite alright.” He hid behind the wall, eyes trained on Keith.

What was happening-Oh… Oh! The moustache incident… The grin on little Keith’s face told Lance everything he needed to know, along with Coran’s reaction, freezing up in fear. The poor Altean help up a bag of cookies, placing them on the ground before quickly running further away. He hid behind another wall, watching warily as Keith took the cookies.

The child opened the bag in victory, munching on his prize.

“Coran! What are you doing!?” Didn’t anyone understand what Lance and Hunk were trying to do?

“Giving the little one a peace offering. Now that he’s busy with the cookies, he won’t trouble himself with silly old me. Now if you’ll excuse me!” The Altean was gone, running for his dear life.

This didn’t go according to plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 7000+ Hits!? 500+ Kudos!? Thank u all so much! I NEVER expected this story to get so many, I just can't stress this enough! To celebrate, I made today's chapter a bit longer. I think it's the longest chapter so far? Not sure...
> 
> GUYS! I FINALLY found the art that inspired me to write this fic! [HERE](http://brobuddypal.tumblr.com/post/157601662705/time-travel-de-age-au), this is how I imagined little Keith & Lance would look like in the desert (but with different clothes) :3 The artist is so talented and they look super cute. I just couldn't resist <3


	20. 5/5!? Almost!

“I’ll see you both in the med bay tonight. Don’t be late.”

“P-Pidge! Wait! I said I was sorr-“

“Tonight. Don’t. Be. Late.” Pidge gave the two a glare of fury before walking away. She wouldn’t get along with little Keith, would she? After the glasses fiasco, Lance doubted they had a chance. But maybe little Keith wouldn’t see her in the same light?

As Lance looked down at the child, he noticed the smile Keith had on his face. Maybe he likes Pidge but she doesn’t like him? If that’s the case then it will do. Coran, however, is a different story. Looks like Keith likes to tease… no, terrify the poor Altean. Again, as long as Keith likes them, it’ll work out.

Now then! Three down and two more to go. Allura and Shiro should be a walk in the park. There’s no way anything could go wrong with them.

“Let’s go find more cookies.” Little Keith took Lance’s hand as they made their way down the hall, “Why did you take the glasses? Do you like causing trouble?”

“No.” Little mullet looked away.

“You can’t take other people’s stuff. What if someone took something of yours? Like your sword. Would you like that?”

The child shot his head up, glaring holes into the blue paladin. As soon as Lance mentioned someone taking his blade away, Keith turned into a full on defensive mode.

“Whoa! Easy there samurai.” Lance pat him on the head, “See? You wouldn’t like it, would you?”

Keith shook his head in a ‘no’.

“And that proves my point. No more stealing, deal?”

“Deal.” Little Keith agreed with a pout, holding onto Lance’s hand tightly.

Shiro and Allura should be done with their rest, right? Surely Hunk told them about their plan. Lance feels guilty for interrupting their rest but they had to figure out this out pronto! Their survival as Voltron depends on this.

Now then, if Shiro and Allura are awake, where would they be? Most likely the bridge, and so that’s where he and Keith were going. If Hunk told them about everything, then they would be waiting for him and Keith to arrive. Hopefully there won’t be anymore trouble this time.

The door slid open and to Lance’s relief, Allura and Shiro were really in the said room. As he and little Keith made their way toward them, they noticed that the two were looking at a map of a galaxy. The galaxy they were currently in, probably.

“We can’t remain here any longer. We’ll have to move the ship elsewhere or else we risk Zarkon finding us.”

Despite the vast blue dots, which represented freed planets, Zarkon could still track them down and find them. He wouldn’t care if they weren’t in Galra occupied territory because he would stop at nothing to get his hands on Voltron. Now that they couldn’t form the giant robot, Zarkon would easily win.

“Uhhh… Are we interrupting something?” Lance spoke up, making their presence known.

The two turned, smiles on their faces as soon as they saw them. Despite all the trouble Keith gave them, they weren’t mad at him in the least.

“Lance, Keith, just in time. Shiro and I were waiting for you.” Allura took out her bag of cookies, showing them to little Keith, “I was told that this is what you would come here for.” She kneeled down, facing the child, “I understand why you did what you did and I want you to know that I’m not mad. You were worried, we all were. However, in order to make sure that everyone stays safe, I’ll need your help.” Her eyes were locked with violet ones, “I’d be honoured if you’d consider me your friend. All I ask for is your trust. A heavy request, I know, but it is necessary in our desperate situation. Please.”

Little Keith stared at her, not knowing what to say or how to react. Allura was really good with words but Lance didn’t know that she would be this good with kids as well. Skills of a diplomat? You needed those when trying to negotiate with many different alien species, however, the Allura right now spoke from the heart. Just as she said, they were all worried. They needed to figure this out and quick.

Both Lance and Shiro smiled as little Keith stepped closer to the princess, “I want to be your friend.” He didn’t take the cookies but instead looked into Allura’s eyes. He meant what he said and showed it in his own way.

“I feel the same way.” Allura’s smile widened, “Here, you can have these.” She gave him the cookies and Keith accepted them without complaints.

That was surprisingly easy. Lance’s admiration for Allura just shot up. She was really something else.

“Ehem…” Shiro kneeled down beside the Altean princess, “We didn’t get along at first but I hope that’ll change.”

“What do you mean?” Lance asked curiously.

“Well, he bit me while you were in the pod.”

“What?”

“But that’s okay.” Shiro assured the small child, “Keith was worried so I don’t blame him for it. As long as we set aside our differences, we’ll be able to work this out.”

Keith was expecting the black paladin to give him the cookies he was holing as well but strangely enough, Shiro didn’t make a move to give them to him. He looked up confusingly at the other.

“Want these?” Shiro held up the cookies, Keith’s eyes following the bag, “If you want them, you have to win them.”

“Win them?” Lance raised a brow.

“Yes, I’ll give these to you when you beat me. Three challenges. If you beat me at one, I’ll give them to you.”

Challenges? Why would they do that? Did Shiro know something Lance didn’t? He did say that he knew Keith before they all met when the alien ship crashed on earth. Did Shiro know him as a kid? He’d have to ask the black paladin about it later. He wanted to ask him about Keith’s mum anyway and see what he knows.

“Excellent, then while you conduct these challenges, I’ll move the ship to another location.” Allura stood up, walking up to her post.

“Good idea. Hopefully we’ll be able to run a scan tonight to see what’s wrong.” The rest made their way to the door.

“Actually, Pidge wants to do it tonight. We met her before coming here.” Lance informed.

“Then tonight it is.” Shiro turned to Allura one more time, silently nodding in agreement before leaving with Lance and Keith in tow. As they walked, Lance used the chance to ask the other about these ‘challenges’.

“So, what’re you planning?”

Shiro glanced down at Keith for a second, spotting the sparkle in his eyes as he ate the cookies. He sighed before turning to Lance, “I’m sure you know this but I’ve known Keith for a long time. Actually, ever since he was a teenager.”

“Really?” So Lance was right.

“Yes, Keith was rebellious as a child and it only got worse in his early teens. What I learned back then was that if you want Keith’s respect, you have to earn it. That’s why I challenged him now because I believe it’s the only way he’ll trust me again.”

Lance began imagining rebellious teenage Keith with rings, eyeliner or even earrings. He’d give anything to see that, although the Keith he knows doesn’t have his ears pierced so maybe he didn’t have earrings. How bad could it have been? Their Keith was eighteen? Nineteen years old? Wait, it wasn't that long ago!

“So what’s the first challenge?”

“Dodgeball.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys, I took a break yesterday. I apologise if anyone was waiting for an update (if anyone was) :( I was drawing all day and finished a piece of Bom!Keith that I'm really proud of. [Here](https://starellas.tumblr.com/post/170128460371/knowledge-or-death) it is. It's just a trace but I worked hard with the colours and I love how it turned out :D


	21. Trust earned!

“So how does this work?” Lance asked, picking up a holographic ball that just appeared in front of him. Little Keith and Shiro stood on opposite sides of the training room, facing one another as opponents.

“It’s easy. We throw balls at one another and the first one to hit their opponent wins. Usually people would play in a team but since we’re only two, we can make an exception to that rule.”

“We could get the others?” Lance suggested and for a moment considered joining little Keith. Would he manage against Shiro on his own?

“No, that’s fine. Besides, if you join Lance, then I’d have little chance of winning.”

Shiro? Little chance of winning? Lance grinned, a smug look on his face, “Well of course! The sharpshooter would never lose at a silly game like this. My aim is legendary.” Hearing Shiro praise him like that always made Lance incredibly happy. The man is his hero, and to hear him acknowledge him like that was more than a boost to his ego.

“Alright, are you ready Keith? All you have to do is hit me and you win, however, if I hit you, it’s my victory. Got it?”

Little Keith nodded.

“Go Keith! I’ll cheer for you buddy.” Just like a parent cheering on for their child.

“Ready… Set… Go!” Shiro made a move for it, throwing his first ball at little Keith. The child was taken by surprise but managed to evade the shot. As the holographic ball hit the wall behind him, it vanished, reappearing in the centre of the room again. The training room was littered with many balls so that they both had some to grab when they would throw the one they had.

Little Keith ran throwing a ball at Shiro, the older paladin evading it swiftly. The child grumbled, quickly grabbing another ball before throwing it. Little mullet looked desperate and surprise, surprise, annoyed as well. It was cute to see.

“Don’t give up Keith! You can-UGH!” The blue paladin felt a ball hit his face, falling on his back, “Hey! I’m not playing!”

Little Keith grinned but got back into the game when he evaded another one of Shiro’s shots. This one was close, too close!

The black paladin threw two balls at the same time, making it harder for Keith to evade. The child did manage to throw himself out of the way, landing on the ground with a thud. This gave Shiro the opening he needed to strike. He threw a ball directly at the small child, managing to hit him.

The training room lit up, a sign that the match was over.

Little Keith grumbled, looking up at Shiro as the other approached.

“You still have two challenges left to prove yourself. Don’t give up.” He helped the child up with a smile.

“Nice going Keith. Are you going to say something to me?” Lance walked up to the two, giving the little child a ‘look’ of disapproval. Being hit on his gorgeous face was not something he expected.

Keith stuck out his tongue.

“You little…”

“The second challenge is Twister.”

“What!? We have that?”

Shiro nodded as another hologram appeared. This time it was of a mat with different colours and circles. How come Lance never knew about this! Quiznak! They would play this all the time if he knew!

“Do you know the rules Keith?”

The child shook his head.

“Keith! You don’t know Twister? How!?” How could he not have played it before? Lance was the king of Twister when he was a kid, no questions asked.

“I don’t.” Little mullet mumbled, lightly kicking Lance’s leg.

“Don’t kick your elders. It’s rude.” The blue paladin pinched his little squishy cheeks while Shiro walked up to the mat. He took the spinning wheel and threw it at the blue paladin, “Lance, catch.” He caught it, “You’ll be the referee.”

“Alright!” This will be interesting. Although something told him that little Keith wouldn’t do so good in this challenge either. The normal Keith would be decent, heck! He’s very athletic but when it comes to flexibility, Lance would like to think that he’s got that covered. Still, he imagined that Keith would be right there close to his abilities. Little Keith on the other hand has short limbs and so it was a bit unfair. They’ll have to play again when Keith turns back into his old self.

“Ready?” Shiro asked and the child nodded.

Lance watched closely, keeping close watch on little Keith specifically because he did have a tendency to cheat. It didn’t take long for the game to end though, Shiro emerging as the victor when the child fell down on his butt.

“Again!” Keith insisted, pulling on Shiro’s sleeve.

“We’ll play again another time buddy. We don’t have the time-“

“Again!”

“We’ll play later!” Lance pressed, pulling the child up. He didn’t look as mad as he knew Keith could get and on a red paladin scale from one to ten, right now he would say that little Keith was a six. Maybe seven?

“We’ll definitely play again so don’t worry.” Shiro pat the child on the head, relaxing him a tiny bit.

That’s two challenges down. One more to go.

The challenges were innocent little games for children but however you look at it, Keith wouldn’t be able to win against Shiro at any one of them. Sure, Shiro could hold back and lose on purpose but they didn’t have the leisure for that. They needed little Keith’s cooperation so even if the games weren’t as fair, it had to be done.

“The last challenge is hide and seek. Do you know what to do?” Shiro asked as little Keith lit up.

“I know! I played it before with mum.”

At the mention of his mother, both Lance and Shiro exchanged puzzling looks. They’ll have to talk about that.

“Great. You’ll hide and if I find you, you lose. However, you can’t use the entire castle for hiding, just this room.” Suddenly the training room changed as holographic walls stood up from the ground. It resembled the maze they used for their trust exercises, only this one had more spaces for hiding such as random boxes and hidden corners.

“I’ll count to ten so you have until then to hide. One… Two…” Little Keith ran, disappearing behind the walls. Shiro sighed as he watched the child run off.

“He remembers her Shiro. He told me about her while we were stuck on the desert planet. Maybe she was still with him at this age?” Lance approached the black paladin with folded arms, worriedly looking at the wall little Keith had disappeared behind.

“It could be possible. When I met him, Keith didn’t want to talk about himself or his past. He was a very closed person and had many walls up to keep others away.” It was a miracle Shiro had managed to get through to him. Even now the black paladin wonders how he managed to do it.

“Don’t you think it’s strange? I mean, it’s as if his memories just _puff!_ Vanished.” Its normal that people don’t remember much of their childhood but at least something should be there, right? Even now Lance could still remembers playing with his family and the way his mother used to keep an eye on him due to his tendency to fall and hurt himself.

“I’ve thought about this for a while now and while I have no evidence to support it, I think Keith’s memories might have been intentionally erased. Somebody wanted him to forget.”

“What?” Lance paused in his walk, the information swirling around in his head. He always thought that Keith was too young to remember his mother or anything about her. It would explain why he didn’t remember but… If she stayed on earth for a little while after he was born, then it could be a credible explanation.

“You think she wanted Keith to forget about her? Why?”

Shiro looked as troubled as Lance was, “I don’t know. However, after seeing the Blade of Marmora for myself, I don’t think it’s impossible. They’re very secretive and would do anything to protect valuable information. The knife Keith has proves that she was a Blade and unfortunately that's the only clue we have.”

“Still…” If Keith’s memories were erased, then there must have been a good reason for it. It was far fetched but it was still a plausible theory.

The two stopped when they noticed a box to their right move. Keith must be hiding inside. The blue and black paladins looked at one another with worry, not knowing what to make of the new information.

“Lance, if he has memories of her, perhaps we could use this. We could-“

“I know Shiro. Leave it to me.” Lance knew what he had to do. In order to help his Keith remember, at least a little, he would have to get little Keith to share some of his memories with him. He knew just the way…

“Anyway!” The blue paladin raised his voice, “I wonder where Keith could be!”

Both he and Shiro smiled, quietly walking up to the box. They heard small chuckles before opening the box, revealing the small child inside.

“Got you buddy.” Lance’s smile was warm as he looked down at the small mullet. Keith puffed, more than annoyed. Although he did glance at Shiro, giving him an approving look.

“We’ll play again.” He said, getting out of the box.

Glancing up at the time, both Lance and Shiro could tell that it was already time to go to the med bay. Finally it was time to find out what exactly happened to Keith.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, took another break yesterday :( So I wrote all of my ideas on a paper and if everything goes as planned, the story should end in 3-4 chapters. We're nearing the end guys! :D


	22. The stars above

The walk to the med bay was painstakingly quick, much to Lance’s dismay. If he was honest with himself, he was worried. What if Keith really did travel back in time? What would they do then? Would they even be able to undo what’s been done? Not to mention that their Keith would be all alone, stuck in a place he didn’t even know. All these thoughts added to Lance’s hesitation.

The door opened, revealing the rest of the team. It was time to find out the truth.

“I take it the cookie hunt is over?” Pidge wasn’t pleased at all and thinking back to what happened, Lance couldn’t really blame her. They almost destroyed her glasses, something she cherishes. Hopefully she won’t hate them too much.

“Come on up buddy. It won’t hurt.” Hunk pat the bed, large machines beside it. The whole setting was intimidating to a small child so it wasn’t a surprise when little Keith hid behind Lance’s back. This is what Lance feared would happen. Then again, he was feeling the same way.

“It’s okay.” Lance kneeled down, placing his hand on the child’s head, “I’ll be with you, okay?”

Keith was hesitant but in the end agreed, letting Lance pick him up and place him on the bed. Pidge then proceeded to stick the wires on his body and the little boy had to take off his shirt so that she could place some on his chest.

As Keith sat on the bed, he held onto Lance’s hand. The blue paladin sat beside him, feeling the need to assure the small mullet.

“That’s really cute.” Hunk cooed, “I never knew you were this good with kids.”

“Natural talent.” Lance grinned as Pidge worked her magic, gathering the data from the wires. Surprisingly Coran was nowhere to be seen, “Where is Coran?”

Allura pointed to the left and Lance tilted his head to the side to spot the older Altean peeking out from a corner. Was he that terrified that he couldn’t face Keith head on? Future note: never mess with Coran’s moustache unless you want him to fear you for the rest of his life.

“Done.” Pidge said as the screens before her lit up to show the completion of the scan. Lance began taking off the wires, putting little Keith’s shirt back on.

“Well, we can forget about the future theory. This is our Keith.”

“How do you know?” Lance asked anxiously, relief hitting him like a wave.

“That’s because of the quintessence. Everyone has their own unique life force that makes them who they are. From what I can see, Keith’s quintessence is the same, it’s just that there’s not much of it.”

“As in it was taken away?” Shiro asked.

“Yes. The wormhole must have taken it, just as I thought.” Pidge confirmed her suspicions.

Lance sighed in relief, “Isn’t that the best possible outcome? It’s not too bad when you think about the future theory. Thanks for causing unnecessary stress Pidge.”

“You welcome.” She shot him a ‘look’, “But now that we know what the problem is, we have to focus on fixing it. In order to return Keith back to normal, we have to give him quintessence.”

“And that’ll fix everything?”

“It should.”

“You don’t sound so sure.” Lance noted.

“That’s because we’ve never encountered something like this before. I don’t know what would happen. I’ll have to run some tests and examine the data. Then I’ll get to the bottom of this.” Pidge’s fingers typed away as the rest stood around her.

Now that Lance could sleep peacefully, he decide to do just that. He picked up little Keith, placing him on the ground, “Now that we’re done, can Keith and I go? I didn’t go to bed since getting out of the pod.”

“You were sleeping in the pod.” Hunk folded his arms.

“Nothing beats the good old bed buddy.” He could already imagine himself sinking into his pillow, “Well then, we’re off. Call us if you need anything.”

“Bye losers.” Pidge waved as the two left.

As soon as the door closed, Lance kneeled down and hugged the small child. He didn’t know why he felt so relieved but he was. What would he do if it was one of the other two possibilities Pidge told them about? Frankly, he didn’t even want to think about them. Keith will be alright, he’ll survive.

“Lance? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” The blue paladin moved away, standing back up on his feet, “Are you tired?”

A nod.

“Then let’s go get some sleep.” He led the child to his room, walking down the corridors to the sleeping quarters. As they were walking, little Keith spotted a window to the side, showing the space outside. He stopped in place, looking out the window.

Lance stopped in his tracks too, looking down at little Keith. That’s right, he did promise him that he would show him the stars,  “Now we’re really touching them. What do you think?”

“I still can’t touch them. I want to hold them.”

Lance chuckled, “I don’t think you’ll be able to do that. This is the closest we can get to the stars above.”

“It’s unfair.”

“The world is an unfair place buddy. That’s why we have each other’s backs. We’re always stronger together.” Allura had told them this when she and Keith returned from their little pod adventure. At the time, Zarkon was tracking them and so in order to test the theory that it was because of them, both Keith and Allura escaped together in the middle of the night. Imagine hearing about both of your crushes sneaking out together in the middle of the night? It did things to Lance’s poor heart.

“Let’s go buddy.” They resumed in their walk, making their way to Lance’s room. Once they reached it, the door slid open, revealing an empty bedroom. It felt like ages ago since Lance was here the last time. After everything that happened on the desert planet, he couldn’t wait to hop on the bed, but first, his skincare routine! He’d missed on it for so long his skin was practically being tortured.

“How tired are you?” Lance asked the small child.

The other raised brow, “A little. Why?”

“I want you to do something for me.” Lance opened a box of his belongings, reaching out for a notebook and a pen. He led little Keith to his bed, encouraging him to sit down before handing him the notebook and pen,  “I want you to tell me more about your mum. Could you write what you remember?” Lance kneeled down before him, the child looking at him confusingly, “I know it’s strange but I want you to write about her and you, about everything. It’ll make me really happy.”

“I can’t write much.” Keith shyly replied but Lance put his hand on Keith's own.

“It’s okay. Write anything you can. Please.”

“Okay.” The child agreed and it was then that Lance smiled. He ruffled the black hair, relishing the small mullet while he still could.

“I’ll be in the bathroom so while I wash, you can write. The we can go to sleep.”

Little Keith nodded, opening the notebook to write.

Lance didn’t know what little Keith would write. It might be a few scribbles and unreadable words but somehow he felt that little Keith would try, for him. He decided to trust the child, making his way to the bathroom.

This is what he can do for his Keith.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notice what I did there with the title of this chapter? Couldn't help it XD (Actually I chose the title randomly so this way it would make sense)


	23. Young and old

After washing his face and putting on the face mask, Lance went back to his room. When the door of the bathroom opened, he noticed that Keith was still on the bed, writing in the notebook. The child seemed to be focused on what he was doing, not even small noises the blue paladin made broke his concentration.

Lance couldn’t stop the smile that showed up on his face, glad that little Keith would do this for him. Actually, he was doing it for himself but what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him. Lance knew that the things little Keith was writing were intimate so he would never read it. He wouldn’t intrude like that. Instead, all he will do is give the book to the older Keith.

Lance made his way to the bed, seating himself beside the child. He yawned tiredly, slowly lowering his upper body onto the bed. Was the bed always this soft? Nope! This felt like heaven. His eyes felt heavy as soon as he touched the surface of it.  He fought the sleep that was threatening to overtake him, waiting for little Keith to finish. Actually! Keith doesn’t have any pyjamas! What would he wear? It’s not like any of Lance’s clothes would fit him! He didn’t think about this!

The blue paladin sat up again, thinking. An idea hit him so he stood up and walked up to his closet, taking out his blue robe. It wasn’t meant to be used for sleep but Lance had nothing else he could give the small child.

“Done.” Keith looked up at the other, yawning. He offered the book to other, the said paladin taking it gratefully.

“Thank you little one. I really mean it.”

“Will you read it?”

Lance shook his head, “I won’t. Nobody will see this except for you.”

Keith was confused and Lance understood why. Imagine someone suddenly asking you to write about yourself without a reason. You would be confused too.

“Hands up.” Lance put the book under the bed, safely keeping it there for the time being. As little Keith put his hands up, Lance took off his shirt. The child was stripped bare, that is apart from his underwear. Lance looked away but put the blue robe around Keith. It wasn’t that cold so this will do.

“I know it’s big but a change of clothes will do you good, plus we have lots of blankets.”

Keith held in a laugh.

“What is it?”

He succumbed, bursting out laughing.

“What!? Did I do something?” Why was he laughing all of a sudden?

“Your face is funny!” Keith pointed at Lance’s face, the blue paladin reaching up to touch his face mask. Oh…

“It’s not funny! It’s completely normal!”

The child continued to laugh and as revenge, Lance decided to tickle him. The laughs got louder now as little Keith fell down on the bed.

“Stop!”

“Say you’re sorry!”

“I’m sorry! Sorry!”

The tickling stopped, “Good. You should be.”

“You still look weird.”

“Says the one who’s wearing oversized clothes. Now come on, let’s go to sleep.” The lights of the bedroom began to dim down, creating the illusion of night. The one thing that Lance hated in space was the fact that he could never tell the time. There was no sun to set or a moon to look up to. All they had was space and the never ending darkness of it. It was depressing at times.

The warmth next to him gave him comfort, holding Keith between his arms. The child leaned in, clinging onto Lance’s shirt. Finally after everything they’ve been thought, they could rest. It felt nice… Lance succumbed to his tired body, feeling his eyes slowly close. As soon as he knew it, he was taken over by the darkness of his dreams.

 

* * *

 

“Lance!” The said brunette jumped up when he heard someone yell his name. He sat up on the bed quickly, waking up little Keith who shot up in reaction as well. He held out his blade and Lance quickly pushed it down when he noticed Pidge at the door, “It’s okay buddy. It’s just Pidge.”

Once Keith put down his blade, Lance grumbled under his breath. He should have known that such relaxing sleep would come with drawbacks.

“Lance! You’re awake! Good, I finally figured out what’s wrong with you and it’s-“ Pidge paused, looking at the blue paladin with wide eyes.

Lance stared back at her, raising a brow. Was it his face mask? “What is it?”

“Y-Your hair…”

His hair? “What’s wrong with it?”

“It’s white.”

“What?” Was Pidge messing with him? “This is why you woke me up? To tease me about my bed hair?”

“No! Lance, you literally have white hair!” She scrambled to the bathroom to look for a mirror. Lance felt a hand tug his hair, turning to see little Keith looking at him in awe.

“How did it turn white?” The child asked while Lance tilted his head to the side. He touched his hair but it felt normal… That is until he spotted a strand on his forehead, white.

Pidge came back, holding up a small mirror, “Look!” She pointed it towards him to show that his hair was really white.

Lance paled. Then the scream came, “How!? Why!? Pidge!? How did this happen!?”

“I told you that you would be affected by the wormhole too! That’s what I came here running to tell you!”

“This is because of the wormhole? Why?” What did his poor hair do? “Is my quintessence being drained?”

Pidge nodded, “Somehow Keith’s quintessence was drained at a much faster pace so that’s why he turned into a child when you came out of the wormhole. You on the other hand had your quintessence drained out slowly which explains why the effects didn’t show, until now.”

“What? So I have white hair now?” It’s not too bad considering that Keith turned into a child. It could have been worse.

“That’s not it Lance, you’re ageing. While Keith got younger, you’ll be getting older. I don’t know why it’s like that but if we don’t hurry up, you’ll turn into an old man.”

“What!?” The blue paladin screeched in horror. Old? With wrinkles? No, no, no, _nope!_ He can’t have his youth over and done with before it even began!

The three jumped up when suddenly the alarm went on. Allura’s voice spoke up through the comms, “Paladins! We’re under attack! Zarkon found us!”

Perfect timing! What now? Not only is Keith unable to pilot Red but now Lance’s effects of the wormhole were beginning to show! He would probably be able to pilot Blue but the thought that he was turning into an old man horrified him.

The castle suddenly shook, a sign that it was hit with a blast. What now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SEASON 5 COMING ON 2ND OF MARCH!!!!!!!!!!!! I'M SCREAMINGGGGGGGG *really hopes the crew didn't post it by mistake*


	24. We go down together

Pidge, Keith and Lance ran to the bridge as fast as they could, stumbling a few times when the castle shook. Not only were they being swayed around but Lance could barely keep up. A few more steps… Just a bit more until they reach the bridge…

“You’re out of breath? Already?” Pidge turned when she noticed that he was barely keeping up with them. She and little Keith ran back to help him, “It must be the lack of quintessence. You’re slowly breaking down Lance.”

Breaking down? That didn’t sound good, “I’m fine. Let’s get moving.”

The three of them continued their journey to the bridge, the door sliding open to reveal a stressed Allura, alerted Shiro, panicking Hunk and a spazzing Coran.

“Finally! What took you so long!?” Allura yelled while Pidge and Lance went up to their stations. Little Keith stuck to Lance, helping him slowly walk towards the blue glowing chair.

“Lance what happened? Why is your hair white?” Hunk asked in concern but was quickly interrupted by a loud blast that exploded near them, almost hitting the castle. Zarkon wasn't playing around this time.

“We need to go out and fight. Lance, are you able to fly?” Shiro stood up, turning to his team. He noticed Lance’s white hair but also the way his skin looked older. Were those wrinkles? It was concerning but right now, they didn’t have the leisure to worry about it. Zarkon was right behind them, desperate.

“You can count on me Shiro.” Even if his body was losing its strength, he would still fight until the very end. That’s what being a paladin of Voltron means.

“Good, then let’s go. Four lions are better than three.” They were still missing Keith and Red but since Keith was in no condition to pilot his lion, they would have to do with four.

The paladins made their way to their elevators but as Lance got into his, he noticed that little Keith went along with him, “I’m sorry buddy but you can’t come along. It’s too dangerous.” He gently tried to push Keith off of him, failing. The child held onto him tightly, “Keith, I’m not joking around. Let go.”

“I want to go too! I need to go.” Keith protested, no intention of backing away.

If the situation was different, maybe Lance would have taken the time to fight back but right now, he had to go and pronto! He looked up at Allura who was luckily already aware of the situation. She quickly took action, pulling Keith away from Lance.

“I apologise but we’re in a desperate situation.” She held onto Keith tightly, not letting the child go.

Lance took the opportunity while he could, thanking the princess before the elevator went down. Keith watched with watery eyes, frustrated with the sight of Lance leaving him. Along with frustration, however, there was worry in him as well. The blue paladin looked terrible, sick.

Keith couldn’t take it and so he took action. He bit down at Allura’s hand, achieving the goal of freeing himself. He quickly jumped down with the aim to catch up to the blue paladin. With how slow Lance was, it would be no problem to catch up to him.

“Keith! No!” The child was gone, leaving Allura behind. Even if Lance told them that little Keith was a troublesome child, she never expected him to jump.

“Paladins! Can you hear me?” She spoke up through the comms, spotting three of the lions leaving their hangars. Blue was nowhere in sight.

“We hear you Allura, what is it?” Shiro responded.

“Keith ran away! He’s with Lance in the blue lion!”

“Speaking of Lance, where is he?” Hunk turned Yellow to the side so that he could see the opening of Blue’s hangar. Why was Lance taking so long?

 

* * *

 

“Just a bit more… Were these stairs always this steep?” The blue paladin panted as he made his way up to Blue. He fought against his body, pushing it to it’s limits as he fast paced towards the mechanical lion. When he finally made it into the cockpit, he threw himself onto the seat with relief. No more moving required from here on out.

“Alright girl! Let’s roll!” Blue moved, flying out of the hangar.

“Lance are you okay? What took you so long?” Shiro asked through the comms, evading as a few sentries shot at Black.

“Don’t you guys know that a hero always arrives fashionably late? I was waiting for the right moment.” He didn’t let his weakness show. It would only needlessly worry the others when there was nothing to worry about. He was fine. He’ll manage.

“Is Keith with you?” Hunk asked.

“Keith? No he-Ahh!” Lance jumped in his seat when he felt a hand touch his shoulder. He looked to the side to see little Keith standing beside him, “Keith! Why are you here!? I told you to stay in the castle!”

The child turned and it was then that Lance saw the angriest expression he had ever seen on little Keith, “You’re sick. I won’t let you go alone.”

“I-I’m not sick! I’m fine!”

“No! You’re lying!” He pulled at Lance’s hair, touching his face, “Your hair is white and your skin is strange. Don’t lie.”

Ugh! He didn’t have time for this. Lance was thankful that Keith cared but the fear of having Keith with him was stronger. Then again, Keith never listens. He should have expected this. It was his mistake.

“Lance! Watch out!” Pidge yelled as two blasts struck Blue on both sides. It sent her flying through space and towards a Galra cruiser which was the main ship in the fleet. The lion crashed against the vessel, tearing a hole into it due to the impact.

“Lance! Keith! Do you copy?” Shiro, Hunk and Pidge flew closer but the rest of the fleet proved to be troublesome enough, preventing them from getting closer. They knew the lions were weak, incapable of forming Voltron.

The blue paladin grumbled, his body heavy as he sat on his pilot chair. His back was sore and his legs were killing him, even though he wasn’t even standing up! Ignoring the pain, Lance looked around to spot little Keith. He wasn’t injured, thankfully.

“Lance, look!” Keith pointed at the screen of Blue’s cockpit, looking at the scenery before them. Lance’s jaw dropped open when he took notice of all the quintessence that was around them. It was like a mini quintessence factory! It resembled the one Keith had discovered a while back.

Wait… This IS the key. They need quintessence so that they can fix themselves. This will work out!

“Let’s go Kei-Ow! Ow! Ow!” As Lance stood up, he could feel his back cracking. The symptoms were getting worse and worse by the minute. How long would he last before he gives in completely?

“You okay?” Little Keith asked.

Lance nodded as he accepted Keith’s help, supporting him while he stood, “Let’s go fix this.” They slowly made their way out of Blue and as soon as they did, Lance grabbed a small container of quintessence. Finally, they’ll return back to normal.

“Put that down blue paladin.”

A wicked voice made him shiver, turning around to spot none other than Haggar herself. The witch had her eyes narrowed yet she seemed pleased at the prospect of seeing the two paladins weakened like this.

“Without the blue and red paladins, there can be no Voltron. This is where you’ll perish.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was considering taking a break today but then I saw the number '23' and I was like "HAVE TO UPDATE! WANNA FINISH!" So here it is. I hope it's decent. I wanted to make it longer but I'm really tired so this is the result. I'll probably make the last chapter a bit longer so that everything is wrapped up. I'll take a break tomorrow tho so no update (if Voltron social media posts the s5 trailer then nobody would read it anyway XD) So! Expect the last chapter on Saturday or Sunday :3
> 
> Thank you so much for making it this far! You're incredible and I love you <3 See you in the last chapter!
> 
> (*whispers* for those reading my soulmate au fic, I'll update that today too)


	25. I love you as you are

“Lance! Watch out!” Little Keith pushed Lance to the side as Haggar aimed her dark magic towards them. Luckily they managed to evade it but something told Lance that they wouldn’t have that much luck the second time.

“Running away will only make it harder for you. Why suffer when it can all end in a second?” The witch shot more of her magic, aiming at the two.

Lance’s body was like a rock, barely managing to move. He watched with wide eyes as the blast neared, only to be pulled again, falling down on the ground. He spotted little Keith on the floor with him, worried and concerned.

Was he the dead weight now? Lance knew that he wouldn’t be able to take Haggar on, not like this at least. He’s only dragging Keith down, worse, he’ll be the end of little mullet unless he does something.

Lance looked at the bottle of  quintessence  he held in his hand, suddenly getting an idea. He took the opening while Haggar readier herself for another attack, throwing the quintessence at her. The witch braced herself but the bottle managed to hit her, splashing the contents onto her. It created the opening they needed to get out of there.

“Quick.” Lance took Keith’s little hand, having Blue in sight. The lion had her jaw open, waiting for them to enter. They were so close but yet so far away at the same time as well. Lance could barely move, forcing himself to get to Blue as fast as he could.

“Ah!” He suddenly felt a shot of energy shoot at his back, making him fall down on the ground with a loud thud. Haggar’s magic was powerful but also deadly. Every inch of his body felt like it was burning, the remains of dark sparks making him flinch.

“Lance!” Keith kneeled down beside him, anxious and scared.

“Give up now paladins. If you do, I’ll let you live. That is as my test subjects.” Haggar approached, black orbs floating in her palms. Lance could do nothing but glance at her with lidded eyes, his body weak.

He didn’t want this to be the end. What happened with his planned heroic death? He always thought he would go with a _bang_ but this? It was just pitiful. The only regret he would have is letting Keith down like this. Even at the very end, he couldn’t protect him. Not when it mattered the most.

“K-Keith?” He was surprised when little Keith stood up, now facing Haggar head on. The witch seemed to be amused, that is if her lips curving just a tad bit was anything to go by.

“Pathetic.” Her voice was low, the orb in her hand getting larger in size.

“K-Keith! Step back!” Lance urged but the child wouldn’t listen. Of course he wouldn’t, it’s Keith after all.

The child stood in place, glaring at the witch as she was about to attack. He did notice the bottles of quintessence around them and remembered how Lance had taken one. On instinct, he grabbed one that was just beside him, planning on throwing it at the witch.  The bottle had just barely left Keith’s hand when he felt Lance pull his hand down, trying to push him out of the attack’s range. By the time Lance had attempted to push him out of the way, it was already too late.

The attack hit them dead on, both of them. They screamed in pain, enduring the dark quintessence that enveloped them. The bottle that Keith planned to throw fell down as well and soon new brighter quintessence joined Haggar’s dark one.

Lance felt as if his entire body was being torn apart but even so, he still tried to keep his eyes open, searching for any sign of Keith. The child was on the ground, screaming in agony. No… No!

A large blast of quintessence shook the entire ship, the force of it managing to push Haggar away and onto the wall. She was disoriented for a moment but her senses recovered quickly enough to notice smoke that was covering the whole room.

The blue paladin began regaining consciousness, grumbling under his breath as he came to. He felt like he had just been stepped on by Blue, his body was killing him. It was hard to fight the pain but he did, opening his eyes to search for the small child.  “K-Keith?” He called out, looking through the smoke to see if he could spot the little mullet. Eventually he did see what he thought was a head, relief immediately flooding through his system.

Lance crawled forward but as he moved, he suddenly felt an outburst of energy flow though him. Huh? He noticed his hands… No wrinkled skin. He pulled at his strand of hair but was disappointed when he noticed that it was still white. Apart from the hair, he felt normal. Wait, normal? He was normal again!

Lance stood up, delighted by the sudden energy he felt. He wanted to celebrate but first he had to find Keith. He ran towards the direction he thought he spotted the mullet, ceasing his run when he noticed… white hair?

He approached it and noticed that it really was Keith. He wasn’t a kid anymore! He was back to normal! The only thing that was different is his white hair. Huh? They both had white hair now? Is that because of the quintessence? There was nothing else that could have caused it so Lance blamed the strange alien substance.

“Keith! Wake up!” Lance shook the other, waking him up.

“Ugh… Lance?” Keith responded, pushing himself up with his hands. He sat, holding onto his throbbing head, “W-What happened?”

“Keith!” Lance didn’t care about what Keith would say so he threw himself at the red paladin, embracing him tightly. Keith was back to normal! His Keith was back! Finally! He had to admit that he’ll miss little Keith but the way he was holding onto his Keith right now made him so extremely happy that he couldn’t find it in himself to be depressed about it.

“What’s gotten into you?” The red paladin asked in confusion as Lance smiled in response.

“Shut up and let me have this moment. You have no idea what I went though.” Or does he? “Do you remember what happened?”

Keith held onto his head, “I… I remember something but it’s all blurry…”

“You fools! Look what you’ve done!” Haggar’s voice snapped them back to reality, turning to the side to spot the witch facing them again. She didn’t seem pleased at all, “My laboratory is ruined! You will pay for this!”

Lance quickly formed his bayard, joined by Keith who formed his own sword as well. Lance never thought he would be this happy to see Keith’s bayard again but he was. It was just a weapon but it screamed ‘Keith’ more than anything else. Both that and his Galra sword he carried all the time.

Another blast shook the cruiser, making them all wobble on their feet. Haggar couldn’t hold up, leaning against a table that was to her left. She watched as Red appeared from above the crack of the ship, the lion landing near the entrance where Blue was.

“Red! There you are!” Keith smiled at the sight of his lion, relieved.

Finally! They were back in business!

“Lance! Keith! Can you hear me? Are you alright?” Shiro spoke up through the comms, Lance and Keith both grinning at one another.

“We’re okay Shiro, more than okay.” Keith replied and the shock of the other paladins could be heard through the comms, all of them gasping in surprise.

“Keith! You’re back!”

“Finally! Took you long enough!”

“I don’t know what happened but its good to be back.” The red paladin grinned, turning to Lance. They needed to get out of here and quick!

“Let’s go!”

“Right behind you mullet!”

The two paladins ran to their lions, managing to escape Haggar’s last attempt at bringing them down. Not succeeding at hitting the paladins, the witch tried aiming at the lions but her attacks had no effect on Red or Blue. All she could do was watch as the two took off, flying away.

“Can we finally kick come Galra butt?”

“I’m with you Pidge! Let’s do this!”

Shiro smiled, looking at the window on his screen that showed Keith in Red’s cockpit, the paladin piloting his lion. It was a good sight to see, “Are you ready Keith?”

“I’m always ready.”

Shiro’s smile widened as the lions flew in formation, it was time, “Form Voltron!”

All five lions combined, forming the most powerful warrior of the universe: Voltron.

“Wohoo! We’re back baby!”

“Man, I almost forgot how good it felt to pilot Voltron!”

“You’re exaggerating Hunk, as always.”

“Hey! I can’t help it! Now we can actually kick some butt!”

“Less talking and more fighting! Let’s show them what we’re made of!”

“Yeah!” Everyone called out in unison as Voltron cut into a Galra cruiser with no difficulties. It didn’t take long for more than half of the fleet to vanish, the Galra now stood no chance against them. It’s their win!

Haggar must have realised this because as soon as they aimed at her ship, it was sent into hyperdrive. Haggar managed to escape but at this point it didn’t matter. Voltron was back in action.

 

* * *

 

“Keith! You’re back!” Pidge and Hunk both ran towards the red paladin as they met in the castle, jumping up on him before knocking him down on the ground. The said paladin was taken aback, blinking on the ground.

“What’s gotten into you two!?”

“Us? US?” Pidge yelled, pointing at him, “You have a lot of making up to do! You almost broke my glasses! My GLASSES Keith!”

The ones Matt gave her? Keith remembered the time Pidge told him about it. It was a rare bonding moment he had with her but at the time he felt just how much they meant to her. And he almost broke them? What happened!?

“Yeah! And you made me make mountains of cookies! Now I expect you to return the favour.” Hunk folded his arms while Keith looked at him, puzzled. Just what did he do?

“Alright, that’s enough. Give him some space.” Thank goodness for Shiro. Keith sighed in relief as the two paladins got off of him. Then he noticed something out of the corner of his eye… white hair?

“ _Pfft!_ You really can’t pull off the white colour.” Lance chuckled, covering his mouth. Wait, he had white hair too.

“It’s not like you’re the one to talk.” Keith gave him a ‘look’ and the blue paladin quickly turned to the side, “At least I look good with white hair. Yours just looks ridiculous.”

“It doesn't!”

“It sure does! Man, I never thought I would see mullet 2.0 but even my wildest dreams can come true.” Lance held in a chuckle while Keith pulled down on more of his strands. His hair was really snow white. The exact same colour as Lance’s own hair. He remembers waking up on the Galra ship surrounded by quintessence. Was it because of that?

“Keith, what do you remember?” Shiro asked in concern.

“What do I remember?”

“Yes, what DO you remember mullet?” Lance asked anxiously, suddenly feeling his cheeks heat up. He did want Keith to remember everything but right now, he didn’t know if that was a good idea. The time they spent together in the desert, sleeping together and looking at the stars… Would he remember it all?

“Not much.” Came Keith’s reply.

Thank goodness! Lance felt himself relax just a tiny bit.

“I do remember slapping Lance.” He turned to the said paladin, “It felt good.”

“Of course you would remember that.” Lance rolled his eyes, “At least now I know how you feel about me.”

“Really? Do you?” The way Keith asked that sent alarm bells through Lance’s body. Wait a second… The way Keith was looking at him… Did he remember more things they did? Like sleeping together? Lance felt his cheeks heat up some more. He quickly turned to the side to hide them. He didn’t like the way Keith grinned in response but at this point he didn’t regret it. Showing his pink tinted cheeks would be the worse option here.

“Anything else?” Pidge asked this time.

“Not much.” Keith was either honest or he didn’t want to share what he knew. Lance eyed him suspiciously.

“Maybe you’ll remember more with time? For now I think we should head over to the med bay to have you both checked up.” Maybe it could solve the mystery of their white hair?

The door of the hangar slid open, revealing both Allura and Coran. The two Alteans had smiles on their faces, more than relieved to see that their red paladin was back to normal.

“I’m relieved to see that you’re both okay.” It didn’t take Allura long to notice the white hair, “What happened with your-“ Then she noticed Lance as well, “What happened?”

“We don’t know but it’s probably because of the quintessence. It spilled all over us.” Lance explained while Pidge took out a small device. She opened it up and leaned it against Lance’s body, “Your quintessence levels are high.” Then she moved it to Keith to see the same thing, “Strange. I’d love to examine you two more.”

“You won’t make us your lab rats, right?”

“I will if need be.”

“Great.” Lance sighed.

“Before that, I think that we need a bit of rest. We’ve all been on edge these past couple of days so a day to cool off would do us good.” Shiro suggested and Lance agreed.

“I’m beat!”

“But I need to check them-“

“Can it wait Pidge? I’m exhausted.” Keith stretched his arms up in the air, the said green paladin narrowing her eyes.

“Fine. It doesn’t look like your conditions are life threatening.”

“Actually, they’re not.” Allura noted, “Back on Altea, those who had high exposure to quintessence all had their hair turn white. Since I’m one of those individuals, I also succumbed to white hair.”

“Wait!” Lance held up his hand, “Are you saying that your hair wasn’t originally white?”

“No, it was dark blue.” Allura answered and all of a sudden Lance began imagining the princess with dark blue hair. He wished he could see it now.

“Anyway, we should rest. Pidge, we’ll do the examination later tonight.”

“Got it.” The green paladin admitted her defeat.

“I’ll go make some food goo!” Hunk announced, disappearing down the hall.

Out of the corner of his eye, Keith spotted Coran but more importantly the way he was looking at him. Coran was staring and it made the red paladin uncomfortable. He lifted his hand up to wave at the older Altean but as soon as he did, Coran screeched and ran off. Keith watched as he ran, blinking.

“Haha! You really did scar him for life! Nice going mullet!” Lance laughed and Keith realised that now it was only the two of them who were left.

“What did I do?”

“What DIDN’T you do! That’s the question!” Lance grinned, “You were a troublesome kid but nothing Lancey Lance couldn’t handle.” Lance praised himself on that. Being good with kids was always a quality of his that he boosted about. Then again, he had too many good qualities to count.

“Will you tell me what happened then?”

“Depends.”

“What does that mean?” Keith raised a brow.

“Just as I said it. If you convince me to talk, then maybe I will.”

“Why are you like this?”

“Fabulous? Stunning? Good looking?”

Keith glared, unimpressed. The way he was staring reminded Lance of little Keith. Actually now that he thought about it, a lot of tendencies little Keith had remained in his older version. He didn’t think much of Keith’s glares before but now he definitely thought of it as Keith’s trademark attribute.

Speaking of little Keith… “Come with me.” Lance pulled on Keith’s hand, dragging him down the corridor.

“What is it?”

“I want to give you something.” Lance held the warm hand tightly, pulling him along.

“Uhh… Lance?”

“Yeah?”

“I’ll follow you so you don’t need to…”

The blue paladin looked down at their hands, feeling his cheeks heat up again. He quickly pulled away, hands behind his back. Habits die hard, what can he say?

“L-Let’s just go.” The blue paladin continued walking, making his way towards his room. He heard Keith’s footsteps behind him so he knew that he was following. When they reached his room, Lance opened up the door, going straight to his bed.

Keith stood by the entrance, watching as Lance took out two items. One was a blade and the other was a notebook. Could it be the blade from the desert? Keith felt himself at the edge of remembering but as soon as he did, he would feel his head throb in pain.

“Here, for you.” Lance held out the items, handing them both to Keith, “This is the blade we bought on the desert planet. You seemed to like it so I got it for you.”

Lance got this… For him? “Thanks.” Keith had always been an awkward person so an act of kindness like this was strange. He would expect it from Shiro but from someone else? It was hard to take in. He took the blade out of its pouch, examining it’s sharpness. It was beautiful and would definitely cut. He liked it, a lot.

Keith smiled, putting down the blade to focus on his other present. It was a notebook and unlike with the blade, he didn’t remember anything about it. He opened it up, confused when he saw scribbles of writing inside. He looked up at Lance.

“Just read it.” The blue paladin encouraged as Keith did just that. Reading the beginning was confusing but as he read on, Keith began to understand what it was about.

“You were a little child Keith.” The red paladin looked up when Lance began to speak, “When we passed through the wormhole, we ended up on a desert planet. What took me by surprise was that you turned into a kid so I had no idea what to do. Spending time with the younger you was fun but I soon realised that you knew about your mum so… I asked you if you could write about her. Everything the younger you wrote is in that notebook.”

Everything? The memories of his mother… How much did his younger self know? Was he still with his mum when he was young? Did she not leave him when he was a baby? Maybe she didn’t but he still didn’t remember anything about her. Not her name or the way she looked, nothing.

This book… It may not have all the answers he’s looking for but it was more than enough. He’d only read the first page but he could already tell that he loved his mother. The sentence _‘mum gave me a big hippo plushie! I didn’t know what it was at first but I liked it because she gave it to me. I decided to name him Hip and mum liked it too! I’ll always treasure him’_ , it made Keith smile like he never did before.

He remembers the hippo plushie and how he always used to have it on his bed. He didn’t remember buying it so it was just there in his room with no purpose or meaning. He didn’t think much of it before but now this little notebook gave the hippo a whole new meaning…

“Thank you.” Keith whispered, wiping his eyes. He didn’t cry, wiping away any signs of tears as soon as they threatened to fall. He never cries, ever, and he isn’t about to start now.

“You welcome.” Lance smiled, “Don’t be embarrassed mullet. We all cry. It’s not a sin if you do.”

“I’m not crying.” Keith insisted, turning a page. His eyes widened a bit before a huge smile spread on his lips, “Well, look at this.”

“What?” Lance was curious now, “Can I see?”

The red paladin didn’t hesitate to turn the notebook around, showing Lance a drawing. The drawing was of younger Keith and an older person that looked a lot like Lance. Tanned skin, blue eyes… yep, definitely Lance. The two were holding hands, huge smiles on their faces. Why would little Keith draw that!? This mullet will be the end of him!

“Embarrassed?” Keith teased.

“Huh? Me? Why would I be?”

“Your cheeks are red.” He pointed out.

“You’re just jealous!” Lance fought back, “If I turned into a kid, you wouldn’t do half the job I’ve done!”

“M-Maybe I would! I’m good with kids!”

“You? _Pfft!_ Yeah right!” Lance chuckled while Keith glared. Lance had an upper hand but maybe with this… Keith grinned, “Then I’ll show this to others and see what they think.” Keith made a run for it, running out of Lance’s room and out the corridor.

The blue paladin couldn’t calm down his red cheeks, quickly running after Keith, “Hey! Keith! Don’t show that!”

“Try and stop me!”

“You… Wait!”

The chase began and while the two were running, they both couldn’t help but smile happily. Keith felt his heart skip a beat at the thought of everything that Lance did for him. He might have lied about not remembering most of the things that happened but he did remember the way Lance took care of him.

Lance’s smile… His warmth and his kind eyes… Keith felt his own cheeks heat up but luckily for him, Lance couldn’t see it. He didn't want to admit that he remembered because he wanted to keep those memories to himself. He’ll cherish them, forever and always.

“Keith! Wait up! How about we-“

“Nope!”

“No, listen-“

“Nice try Lance!”

“Listen to me mullet!” Lance yelled, a smile on his face. Seriously... the two of them will never change, but then again, that's okay. Lance loves Keith just the way he is, and Keith loves all of Lance as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE END!
> 
> I want to thank everyone who read this story. A special thank you to everyone who took their time to leave a comment on every chapter. I know who you guys are and I'm really thankful because without you, I don't believe that I would have been able to finish this story. You gave me the motivation I needed to continue and finally finish! :D This is the first story I finished for Voltron so I'm super happy! Thank you everyone!
> 
> My plans are to start working on my other stories BUT now as I finished this, I got a new idea... Let's just say that it involves 2 Lances and Keith XD I hope that you'll read it when I publish it :D (It will be as sweet as this story <3 Hopefully)
> 
> Thank you again and I hope you enjoyed the story :D


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